Flying marbles!!

[Andy B]

Its all very well having the Pirelli tyres spicing up the action but with all the marbles off line its making the circuits seem like its been raining and a dry line has formed.

Di Resta has also stated that his hands were hit by flying marbles which also cannot be good.
Petrov has stated that he thinks the marbles made him understeer off the circuit and take flying lessons.

Are the super softs going to make the problem worse?
From the TV pictures the marbles look very big or is that HD detail?

[Canada Darrell™]

There were countless large chunks of rubber visible with the HD feed along with the other marbles. I could also see quite clearly why drivers would complain about getting hit with marbles. During the race DC told the audience that the tires do not pick up the rubber like they used to (all the drivers at the end of the race do this to add weight to the car lest they come in under weight) but with the HD feed I could clearly see the track clear up when a driver got off line and into the marbles. That tells me that if the tires aren't picking up the marbles then they are being thrown up and some are going to wind up hitting drivers in the helmet.

[Williamsfan]

I wonder if it is just more apparent this year due to the sheer amount of debris coming off the tyres than it was in previous years?  Bridgestone did a good job limiting the marbling from their tyres over time so the track rubbered in leaving a grippy line and a slippery remainder due to no tyre grip.  The Pirelli's don't seem to rubber in on the track and just cause the area of the track outside the racing line to resemble Donington Park after the Download Festival!

[Jericoke]

I watched the race in SD, and the marbles were clearly much greater than last year.

Formula1.com has last seasons edits in HD now, so you should be able to compare them.

Obviously the Bridgestones were designed to last, so it might be more fair to compare the marbles to the years of Goodyear?  Few of the current drivers would be familiar with that level of tire wear.  Too bad Rubens hasn't turned enough laps to offer his opinion on the matter...

[cosworth151]

It did look like NASCAR level marbles out there. I wonder what the GPDA will have to say about them.

[Andy B]

Alonso has now raised concerns about the marbling asking Pirelli to look into reducing them. He has also said that on narrow track especially street circuits there will be carnage from going round back markers!!

[lkjohnson1950]

Wouldn't it be more interesting to give them rock hard tires that produced no marbles? Do away with the pit stops, and let the cars slip and slide around. In the '60s and 70s if you made a pit stop you were out of contention, and there were plenty of great races. Modern drivers are totally spoiled by the level of grip available. I think it would be much more interesting if they had to control wheel spin with the throttle. Let the driver who can put the power down best take the win.

Lonny

[stealthhaggis]

I wonder if they should be concentrating on flying Russians rather than marbles.

[cosworth151]

  

Last night on first practice, Brundle (I think) said that Pirelli doesn't like the term "marbles.' He said they prefer "toffee." 

[John S]

 

Last night on first practice, Brundle (I think) said that Pirelli doesn't like the term "marbles.' He said they prefer "toffee." 

     I can understand 'Chewits' (or better still 'Gobbits'  ). 

    But "toffee" sounds like a Fudge to me.