Dude you know i can't let pass an opportunity to bash pirelli. I think you ask these questions for that reason maybe:S:D They are $hit, their tires are $hit and so are their excuses.
The solution should have and could have been very simple. All drivers who make it into Q3 get a new set of which ever is the softer or preferred tire for qualifying. Once qualifying is over they return that set. That would have made every team and driver in Q3 go out and fight for pole or the best grid slot they could get. What $%%$^&&&** pirelli are suggesting is a " special " almost qualifying spec tire for those who make it into Q3.
You need someone like Max Mosely in this situation. He'd have shoved a rod up every team's a$$ who did not agree. Right now, why should Force India, Toro Rosso, caterhalm agree? Murussia and HRT don't figure in the equation but they won't agree either and nor does Sauber. Quite possibly the Mercedes won't agree either because if an extra set of tires is provided to the top 10 for qualifying, it means they will be more flexiable and get through Q1 and Q2 using any tire. That would mean potentially 8 places in the top 10 are taken, both Mclaren, both Lotus cars, both Red Bull, Alonso and Rosberg and with the way Williams are doing right now and Sauber, from time to time, it means there is no chance for these other teams to get into Q3 especially more so if our friend Massa can get his act together. Mercedes, Sauber and possibly Williams are looking at losing one of it's drivers from Q3, while Toro Rosso and Force India are losing any hope of getting their cars into Q3.
All this has come about because you are a two bit company who had very limited success against other tire giants when you competed on equal footing with them, you insisted on being the sole tire supplier and had your contract drawn up stipulating that no other tire manufacturer will be allowed for the first three odd years. When you are weak to that extent, you take pressure from everyone and do what they say. Your tires defy laws of physics or chemistry whatever the hell it is, your tires work in a way unheard off and then you go and blame the teams saying they asked for it. Did teams ask for marbles the size of apples and oranges? Did teams ask that you construct tires in such a fashion that it pretty much lays little or no rubber on track, did teams ask that you make a tire, your hard tire, which should actually work in cooler temperature and NOT work well in hotter temperature ? Does that even make sense!
And finally to come out and say there is no mystery to 2012 tires. Well, as an example this should be explained to me by official pirelli spokesman Steve.
In Oz, Force India is good enough to make it into Q3.
In Malaysia Force India qualify 14th and 16th.
In China they qualified 15th and 16th.
In Bahrian 10th and 13th.
Toro Rosso is good enough to be in Q3 and start 10th and 11th in Oz.
In Malaysia Toro Rosso is only good enough to qualify 15th and 18th.
In China, Toro Rosso could only qualify 17th and 18th.
In Bahrain, Toro Rosso qualifies 6th and 19th.
Sauber, In Oz they were 13th and 17th.
In Malaysia, 10th and 17th.
In China, 4th and 8th.
In Bahrain, 8th and 12th.
How did these teams gain so much performance and lose it within a week or two only to regain it the following week?
How can a driver who does 3 extra laps on a set of tires lose 7 places in 1 lap and 12 places in three laps to go from 2nd to finish 14th ( Raikkonen ) and he only finished 14th because the other cars ran out of laps to pass him.
Then the same driver, because he misses Q3, almost wins the GP a week or two later because he saved a couple of sets of new tires. He almost denies the pole sitter a win because the pole sitter and race leader had the audacity to make it into Q3 and actually stick his car on pole? He should be punished for that?
Teams asked for this $hit? Teams asked that the performance should drop off a cliff, not a few tenths or half a second or maybe a second but actually go 2-3 seconds off or maybe more?
