Penalties for illegal tyre pressures still unclear

Sep.19 (GMM) After the FIA and Pirelli moved to clear up the tyre pressure controversy, it still is not clear whether drivers might be penalised this weekend in Singapore and beyond.

Instead of disqualifying Lewis Hamilton at Monza, after his tyre was found to be 0.3 PSI under Pirelli's mandated minimum, F1's governing body declared that the process for measuring the pressures should be cleared up.

Teams were informed of the new procedure, in the form of a FIA technical directive, in Singapore.

Now, after the five-minute board is shown ahead of the race, Pirelli and the FIA can scour the grid and check that the cars are conforming to the rules.

But Pirelli chief Paul Hembery said on Friday that if a team like Mercedes is found to be beneath the minimum, they will have the opportunity to simply rectify it.

"We can check all the cars if we want to," he said.

Whether penalties or potential exclusion will be applied for infractions, however, is unclear.

"I cannot talk about penalties. That is not our (Pirelli's) responsibility," Hembery insisted.

Meanwhile, the Briton said negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone are still taking place as to whether Pirelli or Michelin will be awarded the 2017 tyre contract.

"I believe it will be completed by the end of October," Pirelli said in Singapore.

Der Spiegel, a German publication, said the current Pirelli deal is worth about EUR 100 million to formula one, mainly through advertising deals.

Finally, Hembery revealed that Pirelli will be able to test the proposed tyres for 2016 over two days after the Abu Dhabi finale in late November.