Pundit tips FIA to close tyre pressure loophole

F1 pundit Marc Surer thinks the sport’s governing body will quickly close a loophole regarding tyre pressures.

It has emerged that world champions Mercedes have developed equipment that heat the entire axle and brake assembly on the grid so that a tyre will satisfy Pirelli’s strict minimum pressure but then lose pressure once the car is running.

Marc Surer, a former F1 driver who is now a pundit for German television Sky, said he doesn’t blame teams for looking into ways to minimise pressures.

"The values supplied by Pirelli are actually too high, and significantly higher than last year," he said.

"But what the teams are doing to heat the whole assembly is highly costly," Surer added.

"Ferrari has yet to catch up, but Red Bull has followed suit very quickly and is now very close to Mercedes in this," he continued. "But all the teams will be trying to do something.

"So I am sure the FIA will act and ban it for the forthcoming season. Another way would be to measure the pressures before the wheels are fitted," said Surer.