F1 on the skids due to tyre farce

The advancing threat of Formula One’s demise as a spectacle of start-to-finish excitement and wheel-to-wheel heroics is accelerating as fast as the degradation of the tyres that carry the cars.

Here Pirelli are the culprits and the tyres they supply for what should be a show of combat right on the edge are turning out to be the reason for a sport going into reverse.

Grand prix racing: A spectacle? A debacle more like. And unless the tyremakers get their act together and stop the rot on the rubber, F1 will collapse in to farce.

There is a condemnation of the Pirelli supply that is reaching universal proportions as cars are slowed by their drivers to preserve the life of their tyres rather than what every genuine fan wants to see, flat-out racing to the chequered flag.

The rubber is melting faster than an ice cream under a sun-lamp.

All-conquering Red Bull’s owner Dietrich Mateschitz this week aired just about every concerned body’s view when he said: “It is not racing any more – it is a tyre management competition.

“Real car racing looks different. Under the given circumstances, we can neither get the best out of our car nor our drivers.

“There is no real qualifying and fighting for pole because everybody is just saving their tyres for the race. If we would make the best of our ca, we would have to stop eight or 10 times in a race, depending on the track.”

And, after his bittersweet result in Spain last weekend when he slumped from second fastest in qualifying to a gloomy 12th in the race, his worst finish for three years, Lewis Hamilton blamed the much-maligned Pirellis – and not his Mercedes.

“It is obviously the tyres,” said the 2008 champion, now down to fourth in this season’s title chase.

“There was no grip, it was like sliding around on all fours. Just tip-toeing around.”

“And it doesn’t matter whether I am going slow or fast,” he added,” I couldn’t drive any slower.”

His frustration was backed by fellow struggler Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, whose McLaren flopped, too, leaving him bemoaning his situation: “It was embarrassing. I had no grip. We shouldn’t have to drive around as slowly as this to look after the tyres; we are the pinnacle of motorsport.”

Pirelli are considering an overdue re-think on their strategy and with Monaco, the world’s most glamorous and globally watched grand prix next up, they need to get a grip on the problem or suffer even more embarrassment and harsh condemnation.

Boss Paul Hembery admits improvements are planned and admits that this season’s construction changes could have played a part in race tyre failures.

But he adds: “To be honest, the criticism is bizarre.”

And he snapped at F1 reporters in Barcelona: “What do you want? We are only doing what we are asked to do. And we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t.”

Oh dear.