There have now been 20 tyre failures this season alone, with the Grand Prix Drivers Association writing to FIA president Jean Todt last month to demand action. McLaren’s Jenson Button, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari test driver Pedro de la Rosa then went to see Todt in person at Silverstone over the weekend to impress upon him the urgency of the issue. The FIA released a statement last night saying that Todt had “demanded that Pirelli participate in the Sporting Working Group meeting on Wednesday to take the necessary measures to deal with this issue that poses a safety problem”.