Tyre choice could cost us, says Alonso

The Italian company said it would be providing drivers with hard and soft tyres for the Silverstone race -- the same combination last used at May's Spanish Grand Prix where Alonso finished fifth and was lapped by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

Silverstone is one of the fastest tracks on the Formula One calendar and Pirelli said the hard tyre was needed to cope with the sustained high speeds. “Today, the team told me about Pirelli's tyre choices for the coming three races,” Alonso, a double world champion with Renault, said on the team website.

“Okay, for us that means one more challenge, namely being able to make all types of tyre work as well as possible,” added the Spaniard.

“Anyway, the tyre choice is the same for everyone and there's no point discussing if the pair of compounds chosen is more suited to one team or another. It's up to the teams to adjust the cars to get the best out of the tyres both in terms of performance and life.”

Champion Vettel has won six of the eight races so far this season and will be the big favourite at Silverstone, a track with high-speed corners perfectly suited to the characteristics of his Red Bull.

The tyre choice could also help McLaren, however, with Lewis Hamilton and Button.
Britain could be a more painful experience for Ferrari even if a clampdown on the engine regulations could change the situation.