Formula 1
Other tyre marques feared for 'image' - Ecclestone
By: GMM
GMM
Published: May 19, 2011, 10:29 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Pirelli was the right choice for 2011 because the alternative tyre suppliers did not want to spice up Formula One.
That is the claim of Bernie Ecclestone, who in recent days has thanked the Italian marque for agreeing to deliberately produce tyres that degrade quickly.
Ecclestone hails the new Pirellis
Photo by: xpb.cc
"Only Pirelli would do it, and we must thank them. It was brave and the show has improved," he said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick.
"Michelin and Bridgestone refused to build tyres like this because they were worried about their image," added Ecclestone.
He claims "90 per cent" of the vastly different spectacle in 2011 is due to Pirelli.
"The effect of the adjustable rear wing is not entirely clear, and KERS was never meant to be a passing aid but was instead for the message we give to the outside."
Ecclestone admits he is no fan of F1's efforts to appear 'green'.
"Some have KERS, some don't, and the ones that do have spent up to $15 million when we really wanted to save. An incredible amount of money was spent and nobody knows why.
"If we wanted it for overtaking, we could have done it like the A1 series and just put in a button for a few hundred dollars.
An incredible amount of money was spent and nobody knows why
Bernie Ecclestone
"Environmentally friendly technology is for touring cars," he said. "That's where it makes sense, because the cars you see there you also see on the street.
"If you compare Formula One with other sports, it isn't bad. The Tour de France burns more fuel than us -- just think of the Tour's huge entourage.
"The biggest consumption of gas is by the spectators who come to the event, but try saying to an organiser that he should sell 10 per cent fewer tickets," added Ecclestone.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ecclestone Scoffs At 'Emotional' Montezemolo
Next article Ecclestone disappointed with Schumacher comeback
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
GMM
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Formula 1
Formula 1
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Formula 1
Formula 1
Chinese GP
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
More from
Bernie Ecclestone
Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone reportedly arrested for travelling with shotgun in Portugal
Formula 1
Formula 1
Italian GP
Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone reportedly arrested for travelling with shotgun in Portugal
Bernie Ecclestone sends major F1 warning ahead of 2026: 'Danger is we lose the fans'
Formula 1
Formula 1
Bahrain Pre-Season 2
Bernie Ecclestone sends major F1 warning ahead of 2026: 'Danger is we lose the fans'
Bernie Ecclestone slams "over-confident" Lando Norris as he backs Max Verstappen for 2025 title
Formula 1
Formula 1
Abu Dhabi GP
Bernie Ecclestone slams "over-confident" Lando Norris as he backs Max Verstappen for 2025 title
Latest news
Harvick: NASCAR may penalize Hocevar for 'dirtiest of dirty tricks'
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
10 min
Harvick: NASCAR may penalize Hocevar for 'dirtiest of dirty tricks'
Why Honda’s power unit lasted barely five laps in F1 Mexico GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
37 min
Why Honda’s power unit lasted barely five laps in F1 Mexico GP
How Red Bull's crucial strategy call helped Max Verstappen win the "Maxico Grand Prix"
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
2 h
How Red Bull's crucial strategy call helped Max Verstappen win the "Maxico Grand Prix"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe