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McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes Formula One drivers should tone down any complaints about the new Pirelli tyres being used this season wearing out too fast, saying they will add to the race drama.
Some drivers testing ahead of the new season have been complaining that the Pirelli rubber is deteriorating too quickly.
But Whitmarsh, who is also chairman of the Formula One Teams Association, says they should also appreciate the extra grip the Italian tyres give while they are still new.
F1 switched to Pirelli tyres this season after former supplier Bridgestone withdrew at the end of last season. They were recently tested at Bahrain International Circuit in a behind-closed-doors session.
Whitmarsh said drivers fighting with their tyres is 'all part of the show'. "Being a tyre supplier is a thankless task," he added. "The quick deterioration is a characteristic, requested by the teams and organisation, to improve the show."
The new season starts on March 27 in Melbourne after the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on March 13 was postponed due to the political upheavals sweeping parts of the Arab world.
The new tyres are not the only change drivers are having to adjust to. Their cars also have got adjustable rear wings, a return of the KERS power-boost system, all combined with extensive testing limits.
McLaren, partly owned by Mumtalakat, Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, finished second in the 2010 constructors' championship, and Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the drivers' standings.
