Apr.14 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa believes Pirelli should be "applauded" for spicing up F1's spectacle with its tyres for 2011.

The sport's new official supplier has been criticised following the opening two races of the season, for the high degradation of its tyres which cause drivers to serve multiple pitstops whilst dealing with flying rubber 'marbles'.

But McLaren reserve driver de la Rosa, who was Pirelli's main tyre development tester, told EFE news agency: "You have to applaud the risk Pirelli has taken with the high degradation, which is good for the show."

Fernando Alonso, however, has become the latest F1 driver to complain about rubber marbles that not only flick up into their cockpits but lie on the racing line and cause them to slide.

It is believed Vitaly Petrov's scary airborne moment in Malaysia last Sunday was caused by the Renault driver sliding on the marbles.

"Sepang is a big circuit with great escape areas but it's a worry for narrow tracks like Monaco, Montreal and Singapore," Alonso is quoted by La Stampa newspaper.

Pirelli, however, played down the potential danger to spectators, an official insisting that "Even on city tracks the marbles do not fly as far as to the spectators".

But the tyre supplier reportedly vowed to "Listen to all the comments from the teams".

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