Lando Norris’ “Terrible” Pirelli Jibe Could Propel Bridgestone to Orchestrate Formula 1 Comeback

Lando Norris has recently slammed Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli. The McLaren driver is of the opinion that Pirelli tires were to be blamed for the absolutely chaotic race in Australian Grand Prix.

As per Motorsport, the Briton could not describe how bad the grip of the given tire was. He said that he had a soft tire that shot its temperature to 65 degrees centigrade and was “terrible.”

This was fun https://t.co/3inXNeCHfP

— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) April 2, 2023

Furthermore, Norris declined to blame the stewards for their decisions in Melbourne. He said the stewards wouldn’t know the situation of the car and grip from outside.

This comes right at the time when Bridgestone is thinking of making a comeback to F1. The Japanese brands are considered a return after their last appearance in F1 in 2010. From there on, it was all about Pirelli.

Bridgestone is trying to orchestrate a comeback

As per multiple reports, the Japanese tire manufacturers are wanting to make a comeback to the premium form of motorsport. With Pirelli’s current contract running out in 2024, Bridgestone is expected to get in the fray by 2025.

The Japanese brands last associated themselves with F1 from 1997, till 2010. However, in most of those years, multiple manufacturers were involved in the sport.

Bridgestone is reportedly interested in becoming the official tire supplier for Formula 1, challenging current supplier Pirelli, whose contract expires in 2024.

The FIA has opened up bids for the exclusive tire supplier from 2025 to 2027, with the option for an additional…

— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) March 31, 2023

But it was abolished in the year 2007 for unnecessary competition and cost-cutting. From there on F1 decided to set only one brand for the sport, and it was Bridgestone that year.

Norris also blamed the tires for multiple collisions in Australia

The 2023 Australian Grand Prix was a race with numerous collisions. The race that saw multiple Red flags and safety cars has received heavy criticism from fans and critics alike over the roles of the stewards.

But Lando Norris wasn’t one of them. The McLaren driver wasn’t ready to blame the race stewards. Rather, he blamed the tires for it.

As he blamed the tire and the grip, he shared, “That’s why you see everyone going straight on in Turn 1 and locking up. It provides literally no grip, so you have to brake so early, which causes chaos and causes incidents,” the 23-year-old Briton concluded in the end.