Important information about tyre wear indicator

That is correct!
I am using the PCars Dash app now, and when the in game indicator says the tyres are gone, the PCars Dash still shows them at 50%

 

Actually in F1 the factors that stop them pushing 100% are many - limited engines for the season, 100kg of fuel for the race.

F1 drivers have been required to manage tyre life for many decades, although admittedly a bit more now since they limited the number of tyres that can be used for the whole weekend, but the current situation is a combination of all the restrictions not simply the in-built (and asked for by FIA) short lifespan of the tyre.

 

The tyres are a larger factor now though than they have been in the past. The drivers' comments have been pretty consistent since the introduction of the Pirellis - Mark Webber summarised it pretty well in a recent interview with ESPN:

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/13644892/mark-webber-f1-politics-pay-drivers-pirelli

 

There are a couple of things that people forget though.

The tyre manufacturers were asked to produce tyres that didn't last to break the non-overtaking procession that F1 had become with the ever increasing reliance on downforce over mechanical grip. They had deemed the enforced refuelling too dangerous a method of forcing pit-stops. Pirelli were the only manufacturer willing to risk their reputation with tyres which didn't last.

You can't really blame Pirelli for that. Blame whoever asked them to do so; Ecclestone or FIA.?

Regarding Pirelli tyres ruining the sport...

2011 - 2013 provided some of the closest, best formula 1 racing I have seen since I started watching in 1983

There was frequently as little as 0.2 - 0.3s between the top 10-12 cars on the grid. All run on the high-deg pirellis. In my opinion what has ruined it in the last two years was the massive specifications change (someone will always have a better idea than someone else) combined with the huge restriction on testing & development (which means no team will be able to reach competetive parity with Mercedes at least for a couple of years)

The only thing f1 needs is more than one team being competitive. That is only ever achieved when the regulations remain fairly static for a couple of years. Next years championship might be contested by Ferrari as well as Mercedes hopefully

Anyway - all well off topic and just my opinion. What's more I've frequented enough F1 forums over the years to know hardly anyone agrees on anything in F1, so I'll just gently close the door on my way out...

 

I don't blame Pirelli, I blame Formula 1. I agree there has been some good racing over the last couple of years, but I would prefer that F1 cars be as quick as they (practicably) can be, rather than being limited by a tyre which is deliberately designed to degrade. After all, F1 is supposed to be a spectacle. If you want to see real wheel to wheel racing, watch touring cars or GT racing. F1 has always been about pushing the boundaries of technology and speed.

Watching one car overtake another as if they are standing still purely because that car is on fresher tyres is not good racing in my opinion. Bring back ground effect and simplify the engines (or "power units") to allow other teams to be more competitive.

 

PS that is a good point