Pirelli not keen on banked corner for Dutch GP

Pirelli says it would prefer if Zandvoort scrapped plans for a steeply banked corner for next year’s Dutch GP.

Zandvoort race organisers are planning for spectacular 18-degree banking at the final Arie Luyendyk corner.

"I’d rather if they didn’t," Pirelli’s Mario Isola told the Dutch publication Formule 1. "We will have to find a solution."

In 2005, the US GP field was infamously reduced to just six cars when Michelin tyres failed on Indianapolis’ 9-degree banked corner.

Isola explained: "With banking, you stress the tyre more. So we would have to take that into consideration and respond to it specifically.

"If you ask me if I would like it? No, I’d rather not," he said.

"We are looking now to see whether it is manageable."

Dutch GP spokesman Jan Lammers played down the banked corner dispute, insisting a "healthy conversation" will take place about it.

"We will see what is possible. That way we can find out whether it should be 12 degrees, 17 degrees, or however many degrees," he said.