Farewell to the ATA, Alternative tire allocation, that is, the alternative allocation of tires in F1 in 2024 is not in agreement with Mario Isola, head of Pirelli motorsport, who reiterates the relevance of this towards the F1 of the future which aims to reduce the carbon footprint in the championship.
Formula 1 has decided to abandon the alternative tire allocation experiment for the 2024 season, a move that has sparked disappointment among industry insiders. The decision was particularly criticized by Mario isola, the head of Pirelli, who he defined this choice as a missed opportunity.
The experiment and the decision of the F1 Commission
During 2023, Formula 1 tested alternative tire allocation in the qualifications of two separate weekends. The ATA in fact debuted at Hungarian Grand Prix, also finding space at the Italian Grand Prix. This new approach required the drivers to use the hard tire in Q1, the medium in Q2 and the soft in Q3. The objective was to make qualifying more exciting and, at the same time, contribute to sustainability by reducing the overall number of tires brought to the track by Pirelli.
There was no shortage of criticism from pilots. In particular of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman declared and in his opinion this new rule was not necessary because it had no substantial impact on the result of the qualifications. And indeed, this would have even penalized the teams at the back of the field, making the competition even more one-sided and less exciting. Doubts have also arisen about the "sustainability" of the ATA.
So at the end of the year the F1 Commission, met at the end of November, has decided not to grant Pirelli further opportunities to continue on the path of alternative allocation. A move that effectively rejected the initiative after just two qualifying events.
Isola's anger as she reiterates: "We missed an opportunity"
Mario Isola did not agree with the F1 Commission's choice. The Pirelli manager commented on the issue to GP Racing, underlining the disagreement. “I think it is without a doubt a missed opportunity. We worked really hard and for a long time together with the sporting directors of the teams, the FIA and F1 to try to understand how we could reduce the number of tyres, obviously avoiding the strategies or spectacle being affected and without reducing the mileage on the track."
For the head of Pirelli, the alternative tire allocation experiment was successful. In fact, Isola concluded by saying: “This type of qualification was specifically tested in 2 events and I must say that the result was more than good. For me they were really good qualifying sessions. I don't think it was a good decision, especially if the direction for the future is to reduce the carbon footprint of the championship."
Source: FormulaPassion
