McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has praised Formula 1’s Alternate Tyre Allocation system after its use at two Grands Prix so far this year. The system, which reduces the amount of tyres brought to a race weekend, debuted in Hungary before returning in Italy. Drivers have just 11 sets of tyres throughout a race weekend, down from the traditional 13 while mandatory compounds are allocated to each qualifying segment. The format was criticised by some drivers, who complained over a lack of track time - however Stella believes it has been a positive addition to F1. "We came [to Monza] with some concerns about the ATA event," he told media including RacingNews365. "But I would say I'm not sure people even realised that it was an ATA event, which is positive. "It means that at the same time, we offer car running and some spectacle, but at the same time we keep pursuing some important objectives like reducing the number of tyres. "So I would say is a positive weekend in that respect and well done to the FIA and F1 for promoting this."
Pirelli believes some changes could be required
Pirelli’s Head of F1 Mario Isola stated the format may need some minor tweaks but is hopeful over the future of the ATA, which mandates the use of tyre compounds in qualifying segments and reduces the amount of tyres available per driver for the weekend from 13 to 11. The hope is that Pirelli can save nearly 3,500 tyres across a full season from needing to be manufactured, transported and eventually disposed of. “I am positive about that,” Isola said. "I heard some drivers complaining about the new format, but I believe that with some fine-tuning it could work. "The qualifying format is different but in a normal, standard format, obviously all the teams are focusing on keeping as many Soft as possible for Qualifying and this is affecting the race allocation. "So I’m still positive on it and I’m sure we can find a good solution for the future."
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