Of course we will be on the single make tyre in 2008. We will all revert back to Pirelli - every team and it is a control tyre. There is only one tyre for the wet and one for the dry surface - just one compound and that is it. And we just have one snow tyre and we are not allowed to cut the tyres. It is going to be quite tricky.

Crash.net:
That will make things interesting won't it?

PH:
Yeah it will make things more of a spectacle. On the last two rounds [in 2007 in Ireland and GB] most teams were flat-out - cutting tyres and finding the best compounds etc, etc. The days of having five compounds sat there or different tread patterns or different cuts - all the tricks you use to try and get the best performance are gone.

You just have your four tyres. You can use six tyres. You can put two spares in the car as well because there is no run-flat mousse in the tyres anymore. There is no ATS - so if you hit a rock and get a puncture you have to change the wheel. We will be carrying two spare wheels on lots of occasions or you might decide not to and not get any punctures by not making deep cuts on the roads.

Again it is going to be quite interesting because if you do get a puncture and you run out of spare wheels you have got to retire the car as there is a clear regulation that says you cannot drive the car with no tyre on the rim on the road section. Being able to limp back to service on three tyres is a thing of the past now on the grounds of safety. There is going to be some interesting decisions to make in 2008.


TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH PAUL HOWARTH - RECORDED PRE-RALLY GB: CLICK HERE