Pirelli: Bottas' fastest lap proof of progress

Pirelli's F1 boss Mario Isola says that the timing of Valtteri Bottas' fastest lap during the Australian Grand Prix was proof of the Italian manufacturer's progress since joining F1 as the sport's sole tyre supplier.

Pirelli has come under a lot of criticism for the type of tyres it produces for the sport, as mandated by the FIA.

As part of the deal, Pirelli manufactures tyres that are designed to degrade rather than last for prolonged periods of a race in the hopes of shaking strategy up and providing more avenues for teams to explore.

However, the outcome has largely been that teams save tyres to reduce the number of pitstop they are forced to make during a race, avoiding pit stop time loss.

Bottas' fastest lap was set on lap 57 of the Australian Grand Prix, one lap from the end. Isola believes that the ability to set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap indicates the great progress the company has made.

“Our aim this year was to provide compounds that enabled drivers to push from start to finish of every stint,” Isola explained.

“The fact that Bottas set the fastest race lap of Albert Park right at the end of the grand prix, in a close fight for the extra point with Verstappen, highlights how this objective has been achieved.

“All three compounds stood up well to the particular demands of Albert Park and they were all used extensively. We saw an interesting variation in strategy, with drivers using different tyres for different stint lengths, and – for those further down the grid – alternative strategies to make their way up the field.”