F1 Wants To Ban Tire Warmers To Reduce Costs

F1 teams are “considering the elimination of tire warmers" for the upcoming season in an effort to cut costs, according to Kerstin Hasenbichler of MOTORSPORT MAGAZIN. Governing body FIA and F1 teams are “currently in consultation to restructure regulations aimed at keeping costs as low as possible.” Eliminating tire warmers, which was also considered a few years ago but dropped because of safety concerns, would save teams money in both equipment expenditure and in freight costs. Pirelli Dir Paul Hembery would “welcome the elimination of tire warmers”, but made clear that this transition would need time. Hembery: “It would require a complete change of the composition [of tires].” Due to a very short time frame, Hembery would like to spread out the transition over two years. For '13, he suggested, "it could be possible to ban tire warmers on wet tires before a full-on ban on heating slicks for the following season (MOTORSPORT-MAGAZIN, 6/23)."