Why Formula One Needs Pirelli

Anyone who has watched Formula One for a few season can understand, till the chequered flag dropped in Abu Dhabi, the sport had become 'stale'. What essentially was happening was that the race was to the first corner and once the first lap was over, the positions were 'decided'. The spectator enthusiasm was essentially dead. 

Gone were the times when the leaders were within seconds and had become nearly minutes apart. All a driver needed was one great pitstop and they had secured the win. Gone were the times when the action on track was more important than the leaders stops themselves. Gone was the time that you held your breath when your driver entered the pits for his stop.

Ask any F1 enthusiast and they will tell you that some of the best races that they had witnessed were when the driver's would driver and the team and the respective pits where poised and ready for action.

Enter Pirelli and the 2011 Formula One season....

The 23rd of June 2010, The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) had officially announced that Pirelli would be the tyre supplier for Formula One under a new three year contract.  At first, there was much speculation that with less than a year till the first race in Australia under the 2011 season, Pirelli would not be able to provide the necessary compounds to the paddock in time.

By the 19th of August 2010, Pirelli had completed it's first successful tyre test with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel. Pirelli's testing programme began less than two months after their agreement to become Formula One racing’s sole tyre supplier was finalised, a feat Hembery was quick to acknowledge.

"A lot of people have made a big commitment to get to where we are today in a very short period of time and the effort really has been incredible. The Toyota team has also been very professional and provided a good, reliable car and we are all very happy to begin our relationship with Nick Heidfeld who gave us a lot of good feedback and suggestions."

Pirelli, though, had not been sitting idle for those 20 years.  They had been supplying tyres to nearly every other form of motorsport.  With this knowledge, they were about to change Formula One. Like their predecessor, Bridgestone, Pirelli knew that they could create a compound that could last an entire race but knew they wouldn't.

"The increased degradation is a feature specifically requested by the teams and the organisers to improve the show. This is an opportunity for the sport, not a problem ..."

And many fans are just now, after only four races, praising the tyre company. With the ban on refuelling, the fans and media started to look for another source of excitement.  Unless you are actually attending a grand prix weekend, sitting on the couch at home or on a stool in the pub, just wasn't the same.  You could afford to leave the eye sight of the telly without really having to worry about missing something.

Now in the 2011 season, if you even happen to turn your back for a second, your favourite driver could go from top three to out of points. Only to fight their way back. I would not see the sport any other way.

When you think back to some of the best races that you have seen, I am quite sure that they consist of many race leaders and much overtaking.  Many fans say that the best races in the sport where when refuelling was allowed, offering multiple pit stops and chanses to lose the lead. Being so dangerous to both driver and teams, we are happy to see it go but have been left with a feeling of emptiness. Which Pirelli was quick to fill. 

The easiest way to gauge the impact that Pirelli has made to Formula One is something so simple as a phone call from my grandmother.  It sounds silly but it is true.  Unless it is June and you are within 250 kilometers of Montreal, Formula One is discussed in Canada only within small little (online) communities.  What caught me by surprise was that after Sunday's race (Istanbul), my grandmother called up and out of nowhere and mentioned the race.  Had I turned on the telly, I would have seen that Formula One made an appearance (albeit brief) on the national news. 

What this means is that with Pirelli on the rims, Formula One has come back to North America, back to Canada. What lays in wait for the sport is a potential 30 million fans in Canada. Once the Austin Grand Prix has a date officiall set, there are 300 million potential fans in the USA.

With a plea to the Formula One Group, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and to the Formula One Teams Association; do not change what you have going for the sport. To be able to compete in the North American market, against NASCAR, you need the excitement.

You need Pirelli