F1: Drivers complain about 'crazy' Spa tire situation

Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have labeled the tire situation ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix as "ridiculous" and "crazy".

Since the tire blowout incidents at Spa Francorchamps last season involving Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, Pirelli began to raise mandatory tire pressures. Amid unusually high temperatures for this event of around 86 degrees – weather set to continue for the race – the super-soft tire in particular is rapidly degrading, leaving a number of drivers stunned and frustrated.

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Hamilton, who faces a tough drive from the back row of the grid, said: "With these tires the way they are, which are a bit of a mess, it's going to be tough out there for everyone – it's definitely tough to come through and get on the podium or win.

"The pressures are so high, I've never seen anything like it in my whole racing career. That doesn't help, plus it's very hot, and with those pressures we get blisters. There is not much you can do to save the tires from blistering and overheating."

Button was equally as scathing.

"The pressures are unbelievably high," he said. "You can see that by how slow we drive round on the way to the grid. Most cars are not going full throttle at all on the way to their qualifying laps. They're not braking, they're not pushing the tire at all.

"They start their lap, get to Turn 1 [La Source] and the tires work. It's amazing what we have to do to get these tires in the working window.

"If you push on the out-lap they're done by Turn 3 [Eau Rouge] – blistering and overheating. What we have to do is crazy; I've never had to do this before in my F1 career.

"It's the pressures, obviously not helped by the temperatures. It's a shame we're so high with the pressure because we're in a position at the moment with the tire where you can't push the car. You're just rolling around the whole time with the tire. Hopefully with the new tires for F1 next year that won't be the case because it's not a nice feeling at the moment."

Force India's Sergio Perez is anticipating problems during the grand prix.

"Where the issue will really come is in the race, how you manage the tires, how early the blisters come," he said. "It can really screw you up if you get the blisters in the first sector. It's such a long lap that once you get the blisters the car is just undriveable. It can be really painful."

Felipe Massa had already slammed the tires as "a joke" during Friday practice.

After qualifying 10th, he added: "I have never had a tire pressure so high like that in my life. With this temperature, it is like you're driving with a balloon. You have no idea what the behavior will be like on the tires. They are so sensitive."

Originally on Autosport.com