Pirelli finally praised after Shanghai spectacle

After all the criticism, Pirelli is finally receiving some high praise for its new role in formula one.

Drivers, teams and commentators were earlier critical of the sport’s new official supplier for producing tyres that degrade too quickly and flick rubber ’bullets’ into the faces of chasing competitors.

But after a mediocre season opener in Melbourne, the back-to-back outings in Malaysia and China in the last two weeks were widely hailed as "thrilling", apparently vindicating Pirelli’s pre-season claim that quickly-degrading tyres will add to the F1 spectacle.

"Thank you Pirelli," said BBC commentator David Coulthard on Sunday. "What they’ve given us is great, strategic racing."

McLaren and FOTA boss Martin Whitmarsh agreed: "I think today (Sunday) showed that formula one can deliver spectacular, fast, close, nail-biting racing."

Added Pirelli chief Paul Hembery: "It’s hard to imagine how we can top this at the next grand prix in Turkey, but we’re certainly going to try to have something just as good."

The Italian marque will supply the same hard and soft compounds at the forthcoming Turkish and Spanish grands prix, following speculation an experimental ’extra-hard’ compound might need to be used at Istanbul.

And the ’super-soft’ will make its 2011 debut in Monaco.

"It’s quite a different tyre to the rest of the range and should be very effective around the streets of Monte Carlo," added Hembery.