Yesterday at 12:35
Fred Vasseur believes the F1 field has been affected by the problem
of managing tyre temperatures for at least "the last 25 seasons."
Managing tyres has always been a critical factor in F1, but since
Pirelli became the sole manufacturer in 2011, it has taken on
increased importance owing to its brief to create tyres which
degrade. In 2025, it is only McLaren that is able to follow
another car closely without degrading its tyres beyond a critical
state, with Vasseur believing the act of tyre management is ever
more important "when the field is tight." "It is not the key factor
of this season, it is the key factor of the last 25 seasons,"
Vasseur told media, including RacingNews365 , of the balancing act
of managing tyre temperatures. "It is even more true when the field
is tight, but McLaren from session-to-session, depending on the
conditions, can be six or seven-tenths away, and it is all impacted
by the conditions. "We are all struggling to be competitive in
every condition, but it is also [to do with] the tarmac and the
layout of the track. "We have already seen that it will be
difficult to come back to McLaren as they have the advantage. "On
some tracks, or with some conditions, we can fight with them, but
overall, they have the advantage, but we are still in the fight
with Mercedes and Red Bull. "We are still in the fight to win some
races, and that is important for the team now between 2025 and
2026."
