Pirelli 'secretly'changed tyre construction for 2016

Pirelli secretly altered the construction of its F1 tyres in preparation for 2016. That is the claim of the British magazine F1 Racing, reporting that the addition of the 'ultra soft' compound is not the only change being introduced by the sport's official supplier for the new season.

The report said "major changes" have also been made to the actual construction of the 2016 tyre. It was reportedly tested at the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi last November, where representatives of the media was controversially barred from attending.

Not only that, even the teams "were not made aware of the change until after the test", F1 Racing revealed. The report said the new compound has an "under-tread layer that is intended to create a pronounced drop in performance as tyre wear reaches 70 per cent."

Upon entering F1 in Pirelli, the Italian marque designed tyres that degraded aggressively, in order to spice up the show. But following criticism and some controversies, including multiple tyre failures, Pirelli's more recent products have been comparatively conservative.

F1 Racing said: "The under-tread layer should stimulate scenarios similar to those in the 2011-2012 season, but with reduced likelihood of the tyres suffering delaminations or punctures". (GMM)