Max Verstappen expects 'a lot of crashes' in F1 when tyre blankets are phased out
- Heinrich Griessel
- 29 October 2022
Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen is concerned that the phasing out of tyre-warming blankets will likely lead to more crashes.
The phasing out of the blankets has already begun. The pre-heated temperature limit for 2023 is 50°C, which means drivers will be dealing with colder tyres all season.
The F1 drivers already experienced what that is going to be like during Pirelli's practice session testing in Mexico on Friday.
"No, it's not fun," said Verstappen, as quoted by GrandPX.
"In Austin, I almost spun in the pitlane! Ok, it was a hard compound, but it was a big step.
"But what I really don't understand is that if we have the blankets, why don't we use them completely? For me, either we have them or we don't. Everything in between is pointless.
"I'll predict it now: there will be a lot of crashes. You just slide around in the first few laps and the pressures will go through the roof.
"I don't even want to think about how it's going to work on a damp day in Monaco. We'll probably need half the race to bring the tyres up to temperature."
"In my free time, I drive a GT3 without tyre warmers," he added.
"But those cars are much more forgiving and much easier to manage than F1. Because here, with the power we have, you push a little too much on the gas and you have a big accident."
