Bottas hopes for better tyres in 2019
Valtteri Bottas says he hopes Pirelli supplies better tyres next year.
The Finn says tyre wear and blistering has been excessive in 2018, forcing drivers to overly manage their races rather than race flat out.
"We have had a lot of management to do in practically every race this season and especially in the last few," Brazil's Globo quotes the Mercedes driver as saying.
"Once we reach a certain temperature, we know it will happen so we don't push it, we just try not to exceed those temperatures."
He said the only recourse is often to slow down, "which is not ideal when there is so much potential in these cars".
Hankook, a Korean tyre manufacturer, has responded to the FIA's tender to take over from Pirelli from 2020.
Bottas says he hopes Pirelli gets on top of the tyre temperature issue for 2019.
"I participated in some of the tests for next year's tires a few weeks ago and I'm sure they are working hard," he said. "I hope it's a bit better."
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Something we have all suspected all the time - we are being taken for a ride. Manage your tires, be a tail-gunner for your team-mate, suspect the other team of having an illegal car (Mercedes and Ferrari have both accused/suspected each other.) Formula 1 looks a lot like a stock market, the big boys (Liberty Media) take for a ride the small investors (the fans who get emotional about something neither they nor the drivers have any control over.)