Pirelli believes that the decision to bring its hardest tyres to the Belgian Grand Prix should allow drivers to push to the maximum in the race.
In a year when there has been a lot of focus on managing tyre degradation through races, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery is hoping that this weekend's race at Spa-Francorchamps is not impacted by drivers having to be conservative with their speed.
"From a tyre perspective, it's certainly one of the most demanding circuits that we face all year, because of the high speeds and extreme forces involved, which are often acting on the tyres in more than one dimension," he said.
"The nomination of the hard and the medium tyres will allow drivers to push hard from start to finish, which is what Spa was designed for."
The characteristics of this year's rubber played its part in helping F1 deliver seven different winners from the first seven races - and Hembery thinks the campaign remains wide open as it heads to the final races.
"The first half of the season began with the most close and competitive start to a year ever seen in Formula 1's history, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of 2012 pans out, and which teams have made which steps forward over the summer break," he said.
"Currently the grid is so closely-matched – particularly in the midfield – that it's impossible to predict."
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