Michelin's bid to oust Pirelli as F1's official tire supplier "may have got a boost from the fallout" of the Belgian Grand Prix, according to PADDOCK TALK. Sebastian Vettel was not the "only high-profile figure" to boldly criticize Pirelli after his blowout at Spa-Francorchamps, as Nico Rosberg had a "similar high-speed incident at the fearsome circuit." Pirelli Motorsport Dir Paul Hembery "hit back with anger at the post-Belgian controversy." He said, "The engineers are pushing the cars to ever narrower limits at the expense of the tires. First the drivers say the tires are too soft, then they're too hard. We (Pirelli) are always the stupid ones." What is clear is that the Spa-Francorchamps controversy "came at exactly the wrong time for Pirelli," as negotiations with F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone about extending the official tire supply deal beyond '16 are currently taking place. Ecclestone is a supporter of Pirelli's, "but pressure to ink a deal with Michelin," which is also bidding for the '17 contract, will now be rising. BBC commentator David Coulthard, a former McLaren driver, said, "F1 deserves the best. And the current tyres are not that." Michael Schmidt of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said, "For Pirelli, the debate about the safety of its tires comes at the most inconvenient time." He said, "Unlike Pirelli, Michelin are advocating longer life for the tires, and the blowups of Spa are only live ammunition in that argument" (PADDOCK TALK, 8/25).
