A tale of tyre from Barcelona

[F1fanaticBD]

Thanks to Pirelli now we can see who used which tyre in which sort of condition. I just fail to understand why Kimi was given a used one, while Alonso had a fresher one, that is shocking for me if not anything else.

[John S]

Kimi wasn't given a used one over a new one - he will have run all his allocation of tyres either in practice or Quali - each driver ends up with whatever he manages to save for the race. The Merc boys, and I think Red Bull, saved a set of options by doing a good enough time in Q1 on the prime/hard tyres. 

The less running you do in Quali the more new tyres are available to you - hence Vettel was able to use two new sets of options and Pastor was able to run the whole race on new boots.

I believe Kimi's problem was not used tyres per se but when he changed his tyres. Someone in the team seems to have favoured Nando by pitting him earlier than Kimi on the 2nd stop allowing Ferd to jump him with better rubber - it's more usual for the leading car to have the choice of stopping first.   

[F1fanaticBD]

If that being the case of running whatever left of tyres, then I guess Ferrari had no choice of pitting Kimi later, as because you can see, if he had pitted earlier, he may have more difficulty in the race, and you can defend Ferrari of not giving preference to Alonso, but to protect Kimi from the others

[John S]

No that wont wash BD,  they left Kimi out 6 laps more than Nando on the middle set of used options (the softer of the tyres). The harder tyres should last longer so no real danger of being attacked more from behind in fact leaving him longer on mediums made him more vulnerable to others as well as his teammate.   
This was clearly a "he's faster than you" message delivered in a different way.       
Oh and Kimi knows it, - well from his comments post race he does.