FIA: Tyre change illegal without universal consent

The FIA have put a halt to massive changes by Pirelli, saying the manufacturer may only change their tyres for safety reasons.

Following the four-stopping Spanish Grand Prix, Pirelli announced that they would alter their tyres ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

That same race weekend also saw several drivers suffer tyre delaminations, although thankfully without any major incident.

The Italian manufacturer reportedly plans to not only alter the tyre structure but also use some of the features from the 2011 and 2012 rubber.However, that level of change is against the rules as, according to the FIA, the only changes they are allowed to make must be based on safety corners.

“Tyre specifications will be determined by the FIA no later than 1 September of the previous season,” says Article 12.6.3 of the technical regulations.

“Once determined in this way, the specification of the tyres will not be changed during the Championship season without the agreement of all competing teams.”

So while Pirelli can tweak the tyres to put an end to delaminations, which could result in a serious accident, they may not change the rubber to stop degradation and four-stopping races.

An FIA source told Autosport: “Discussions between the FIA and Pirelli are ongoing regarding the tyre failures and making changes to prevent them happening again.

“These talks do not involve the subject of degradation or the number of pit stops.”