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Pirelli 'delighted' if Formula 1 2013 repeats 2012's tyre drama

Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera would be delighted if his company delivers a repeat of the unpredictable racing witnessed at the start of 2012

The wide-open start to last season, featuring seven different winners from the first seven races, drew criticism in some quarters, with the tyres' behaviour famously described by Michael Schumacher as 'like driving on raw eggs'.

But Tronchetti Provera would welcome similar tyre-inspired drama this year.

"I think that we did our job," said Tronchetti Provera, when asked by AUTOSPORT for his view on the topsy-turvy start to 2012. "We were asked to create more excitement, and more fun.

"At the end of the day the good drivers and good cars prevailed and that means we did a good job.

"The tyres were performing well and it was a question of knowing them better, and everyone was satisfied at the end of the season."

Pirelli has opted to be even more aggressive with its tyres this season, and new compounds and new constructions are set to lead to higher degradation and more pitstops in 2013.

But Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery thinks that with no major regulation changes for this year compared to 2012, teams will be better able to manage the situation.

"Last year, we had the combination of tyre choices and compound choices which were intentionally difficult, but they were combined with big changes on the car that meant the teams could not really balance the performance or downforce between the front and rear axis of the car," he said.

"That led to temperature imbalances and that amplified any changes we made with compound.

"We are now in a situation where the cars are, by and large, based on what we had last season, so it is evolution rather than revolution. The teams will be starting from a better starting point.

"We don't have quite as many head scratching sessions going on for the teams, but the changes are substantial in the sense that as the tyres are more aggressive, they will degrade more, as there is more energy going into them."

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