Spielberg: A plan to revert to 2018 tyres to enliven the racing failed to gain approval at a meeting of Formula One teams on Friday.
The teams met tyre suppliers Pirelli, representatives of the sport’s organisers and ruling body and several drivers ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. The meeting considered a proposal to re-introduce last year’s tyre compounds, but it did not gain majority support. The 2018 tyres were more prone to blistering and disintegrating and thus helped produce more unpredictable contests.
The plan came to the fore following last weekend’s processional French Grand Prix at Le Castellet, where the dominant Mercedes team reeled off a record eighth consecutive season-opening victory with a triumphant one-two.
No other team has won any of the last 10 races as Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have turned the championship into a two-man race.
Hamilton topped the times for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Friday’s opening free practice for the Austrian GP.
The defending five time champion set a best lap time in one minute and 4.838 seconds on soft tyres to finish just 0.144 seconds ahead of four-time champion Vettel.
