F1 ’no longer real racing’ - Mateschitz

Dietrich Mateschitz has admitted his frustration with the dominant role being played this year by Pirelli’s heavily-degrading control tyres.

World champions Red Bull have not hidden their displeasure with the situation, putting pressure on F1’s Italian tyre supplier to make mid-season changes.

Pirelli, however, has made only a minor tweak to its ’hard’ compound for Barcelona and beyond.

Team owner Mateschitz told Austria’s Krone newspaper: "Formula one no longer has anything to do with ’classic’ racing.

"Today, it’s not the fastest driver in the fastest car winning, but the one with the optimum tyre management.

"We’ve even had to scale down our car, because the tyres were not lasting.

"If we really went as fast as we can, we would need 10 to 15 pitstops," he exclaimed.