McLaren not expecting radical shift from Pirelli in 2012

Official tyre supplier Pirelli have made no secret of their plans to push forward the development of their rubber ahead of the 2012 season. But McLaren are confident there won’t be sweeping compound changes and instead expect the Italian firm to build on their excellent debut season with solid progress.

“We have all really enjoyed the racing this year where we had tyres that the drivers had to be quite cautious with or at least occasionally trade outright pace for longevity,” explained McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in. “That has added a dynamic to the challenge for the drivers.