F1: Williams demands early-2017 tire choice ban

Williams technical chief Pat Symonds has called for a suspension on tire choice at the start of next season to ensure Formula 1 rivals Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari do not gain an advantage.

Tire manufacturer Pirelli and the FIA, in particular, are looking into the matter given the issues surrounding tire supply when 2017's new regulations come into force. From Aug. 1, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will use modified 2015 cars to Pirelli develop its rubber for 2017, with Symonds believing the three teams will gain an advantage.

Symonds feels to even the playing field for next year's tire choices, the number of sets of each compound allocated to drivers should be standardized.

"I think we have a problem, but the problem is probably greater than you realise," said Symonds. "The rule that came in for this season, which allows teams to choose three compounds from the five available – which incidentally is a good rule because it spices up the racing and brings a bit of randomness into some strategies – really does fall down next year.

"We have to make those tire choices before Christmas, before we have even run a car with the tires. By the time we have done our testing we will have chosen tires for the first five or six races. That hands an enormous advantage, in my opinion, to the teams who have done testing.

"Even if it's blind testing, and even if we're getting the data, you won't pick up all the nuances the test teams will have. It's far more important we look at that problem and perhaps for a year, or the first half of the season, we suspend the right of the teams to make that tire choice so we all live together and we don't hand that advantage to Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes."

Ferrari will start testing Aug. 1 at Fiorano with two days on the wet an intermediate compounds. Its engineering director Jock Clear said he understands Symonds's concerns, and feels his position should definitely be considered.

"I'd like to think we are all comfortable with the way the data will be shared and the way the test will be run," said Clear. "But Pat is right – there will be nuances you will get out of it by being there and the drivers involved will get a feel for it so there is an advantage there.

"For all of us, making decisions for what tires we will be racing next year when even we will have very little touch on them, it's very difficult to do. Pat is correct in what he says, in that it certainly needs to be looked at.

"We never envisaged our involvement with Pirelli testing as an opportunity to steal a yard on everyone else. As such, we would be happy to go along with that if some way was found to even out that possible advantage early season."

Originally on Autosport.com