While tires are one of the most crucial components of a car, they become all the more important when a vehicle travels at several hundred miles per hour in one of the biggest motorsports series globally. In Formula 1, tires play a huge role in determining a car’s overall performance, and choosing a specific tire compound can drastically alter the outcome of a race.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen seldom hesitates to express his opinions about the latest sports developments. And when the Dutchman shared his bold view about a specific category of tires, it seemed the right people were listening.

What Did Max Verstappen Say About the C6 Tires After Baku?

Verstappen has been on an upward trajectory since the Dutch GP, bagging two podium finishes and two wins in his last four F1 outings. His performance has been so strong that it has caused bosses in the McLaren camp to worry about their own title aspirations.

Despite being fairly discontent with his Red Bull machine at times, Verstappen has shone on the track on more than a few occasions this season. The Dutch driver rarely minces his words when it comes to being vocal about his ride.

After his victory in Baku, Verstappen commented on the tire situation. Pirelli, which brought the C6 tires for the Azerbaijan contest, assumed the softer compound would live up to its full potential in the local conditions. However, things did not quite work out according to the tire maker’s plans.

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Following the race, Verstappen revealed that the tires initially caused his car to be slow and even termed the C6 tire “inferior.” “That soft tyre is slower from the start of the lap,” he said. “It’s just an inferior tyre. I’d like to talk to Pirelli sometime, so they can leave that one at home.”

The four-time champion highlighted that the tire has failed to live up to its hype on most occasions and advised Pirelli to keep it on the shelf.

How Did Pirelli Respond to Verstappen’s Comments About the Softer Tires?

After the Azerbaijan GP, Pirelli had planned to use the C6 tire for several other contests, including those in Singapore and Las Vegas. However, the tire maker abandoned those plans and went ahead with harder tires for the year.

Mario Isola, Racing Director at Pirelli, spoke about the company’s decision to drop the C6 tires.

“I have seen the comments,” Isola said. “I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to Max yet, but I will do that. In any case, it’s not urgent because there is no plan to bring the C6 to any other race this year.”

Isola then explained why the tires were removed from the table for Singapore and Las Vegas. He added, “The original idea of taking it to Singapore and Las Vegas was abandoned because the energy is much higher in Singapore, and in Las Vegas, the temperature is also an element to consider. You can generate graining on the C6, so it was not really an option.”

🚨 F1 news: Pirelli has listened to Max Verstappen: The C6 tyre won’t be used anymore.

Mario Isola confirmed it was planned for Singapore and Las Vegas, but that’s off the table now.

Next year, Pirelli wants to make a bigger gap between the C5 and C6 compounds.

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The Pirelli executive agreed with Verstappen’s criticism for the most part and revealed that the tire did not perform as well as expected in its maiden year.

He also explained that the C6 tire was too close in performance to the C5. “We are fully aware of the fact that the C5 and C6 are very close at the moment,” Isola continued. “The target for next year is to have those two compounds a bit more spaced, so with a bigger delta in order to have a proper position for the C6.”

Ultimately, Isola promised that the company would rework the compounds for the upcoming year to ensure that each tire was more distinct.