Fernando Alonso has expressed dissatisfaction with Formula 1’s tendency to make mid-season rule alterations, providing a number of past instances as examples.
Recently, Pirelli unveiled a newly constructed tyre for the remaining part of the 2023 season, starting from the British Grand Prix, as part of their future plans for 2024.
This change coincided with a downturn in Aston Martin’s performance, which Fernando Alonso has speculated may be due to the new tyres affecting the outright speed of his and Red Bull’s teams.
However, other members of the F1 paddock have cast doubt on this theory.
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On being asked about how the car has changed since the switch in tyre compounds, Alonso observed a significant lack of grip.
“We’re experiencing more sliding and less grip; our performance clearly reflects that,” he admitted.
He suggested a range of possibilities including car issues, incorrect race setup decisions, competitors’ strong packages, or not fully utilising the new tyres’ potential.
Alonso has voiced his concerns over mid-season changes, such as the switch in tyre compound.
He referred to previous instances, including new tests introduced by the FIA in 2021 to check wing flexibility.
In 2022, the FIA issued a directive targeting ground-effect floors to address the issue of porpoising, which adversely impacted Ferrari’s championship bid, and they are yet to fully recover.
Casting back to his title-winning year of 2006, Alonso recalled almost losing the championship when the FIA abruptly banned his Renault’s mass-damper system in the middle of the season.
Questioned about whether he thought Pirelli should have modified the tyres this year, Alonso was uncertain.
He said, “I don’t have all the information Pirelli does. However, I’ve always been opposed to rule changes or tyre changes mid-season. I also didn’t support the exhaust blowing and flexi-wing modifications made during some seasons.”
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He believes if a car begins the season with a certain specification, it should be allowed to maintain it for the entire season.
In conclusion, Alonso accepted the recent changes might be due to safety concerns around the tyres.
He said, “I didn’t witness any tyre blowouts or similar issues in the first half of the year, but perhaps Pirelli identified critical tyre problems unknown to us. If so, there must be a valid reason behind the changes, and I can support that.”
Alonso will be hoping to return to the podium at the Dutch Grand Prix which takes place later this month.