Pirelli: We will run Kevlar belt tyres in Germany and all new tyres from Hungary on

Pirelli have reiterated that the 2013 specification of the Pirelli Formula 1 tyres is completely safe when used in the correct way. Nevertheless, they are taking no risks, starting at the German Grand Prix where they will run Kevlar belted versions of the tyres as opposed the the steel belt variant, before a total change of tyre to be introduced for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of the month.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said, "For this race only, we will bring Kevlar-belted rear tyres, following the incidents at the British Grand Prix. Even though the 2013 high-performance steel-belted version is completely safe when used correctly, the Kevlar-belted version is easier to manage."

In the wake of the Silverstone blowout fiasco, the Italian tyre manufacturer have pointed a finger at teams using the Pirelli tyres incorrectly and blaming this for the explosions on race day.

"As long as there is no system in place which allows us to enforce tyre related specifications, like tyre pressures or camber - the incorrect use of which were contributing factors of the tyre failures in Silverstone, we prefer to bring a less sophisticated tyre," said Hembery.

Paul Hembery and Pirelli intent on solving tyre issues

"From the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards there will be a completely new range of tyres, combining the characteristics of our 2012 tyres with the increased performance of the 2013 specification," confirmed the Pirelli motorsport boss.

As for this weekend at Nurburgring, Hembery predicts, "Nurburgring is one of the circuits that we have the least experience of, having only raced there once before in F1, but we’re certain that we have chosen the correct compromise between performance and durability by bringing the medium and soft compounds."

"These were actually the same compounds that we chose for this track in 2011, but since then the tyres have got softer and faster, so we would expect a quicker race time with an average of three pit stops for most drivers. The Nurburgring is not on the whole an especially demanding circuit for tyres but there are still some distinctive aspects to look out for when it comes to tyre management, such as the kerbing on the chicanes."

"We are expecting a performance gap of 0.8 seconds to 1.0 second between the two nominated compounds, which should make the strategy options versatile," concluded Hembery.

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