Evaluation: Tyre utilization on the British Grand Prix

Pirelli’s new specification of slick tyres made their debut in yesterday’s Silverstone race, and displayed wonderful sturdiness. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó analyses the tyre utilization on the British Grand Prix.

After utilizing the softer compounds on the earlier two rounds, groups had tougher compounds out there at Silverstone: the C1 served because the P Zero White arduous, C2 because the P Zero Yellow medium and C3 because the P Zero Crimson mushy in Nice Britain.

Pirelli’s selection was dictated by the excessive vitality masses that Silverstone places via the tyres with a few of the highest common cornering speeds of the yr being skilled at Silverstone and drivers are subjected to lateral forces that may exceed 5g.

Final yr’s British Grand Prix noticed the sector choose a two-stop technique and yesterday’s race had additionally been anticipated to propel drivers in direction of the identical method. Nevertheless, Friday’s lengthy runs indicated {that a} one-stop technique may additionally be viable.

Climate circumstances had been preferrred for the Silverstone race with rain staying away for an important observe motion of the race weekend. Ambient temperatures fluctuated between 21.2 and 24.0 levels Celsius. Observe temperatures dropped to a minimal of 28.8 levels Celsius when the clouds arrived a number of laps into the race. Nevertheless, with the clouds blown away, observe temperatures rose as much as 35.9 levels Celsius.

Forward of the race, Pirelli was uncertain which technique may change into the quickest method to full the 52-lap British Grand Prix. Nevertheless, throughout the race it quickly grew to become evident that tyres held on very properly, enabling a one-stop technique for the race regardless of the high-speed corners and the comparatively excessive ambient and observe temperatures.

12 of the 17 drivers who completed the race accomplished the 52-lap race distance with a single cease. In reality, the 5 different drivers -Charles Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu, Nyck de Vries – had been additionally set to finish the race with a single cease, however the security automobile intervention modified their plans.

After beginning on the mediums, Leclerc made an early cease on Lap 18 for the arduous compound with Guanyu following an analogous technique, albeit making his first cease a bit afterward Lap 24. AlphaTauri drivers began the race on the red-walled softs with Tsunoda making an early tyre change on Lap 14 whereas his teammate de Vries swapping his softs for mediums on Lap 27.

Hulkenberg got here in for brand spanking new tyres very early on Lap 7, however his early cease was a results of a contact, which means that his cease was not deliberate.

All of them made use of the protection automobile intervention, coming in for brand spanking new tyres for a second time. Nevertheless, the protection automobile was relatively an obstacle for them as a few of their direct rivals gained worthwhile time by solely pitting beneath the interruption. Furthermore, that they had no different selection than pitting for brand spanking new tyres as that they had used, tougher tyres against the contemporary, mushy compounds of their rivals.

As for the efficiency of the completely different compounds, every of them confirmed nice sturdiness with no vital drop off. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas racked up the very best variety of laps on the arduous compound with the Finn finishing a 32-lap stint on the white-walled tyres. McLaren’s Lando Norris set the quickest lap on this compound on Lap 43 with a time of 1m30.543s as he was desperate to cling on to P2, defending his place from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

On the yellow-banded medium, the longest stint was a 33-lap run with 4 drivers – Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Norris and Max Verstappen – having achieved this extraordinarily lengthy stint. The quickest lap was recorded by George Russell, who went on to submit a 1m31.124s on the thirteenth lap of his second stint.

The longest stint on the C3 compound belonged to Russell, who prolonged his opening stint till Lap 28, displaying nice consistency. The Briton was additionally in a position to decide up his tempo when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc pitted for brand spanking new tyres early on which give the Mercedes driver free air. Race winner Verstappen set the quickest lap on the C3 compound with a 1m30.275s on Lap 42 which grew to become the quickest lap of the race.

When it comes to technique, two groups executed questionable strikes. Operating fourth 4 second adrift of the McLaren duo and slightly below a second forward of George Russell, Leclerc got here in very early for brand spanking new tyres with Ferrari servicing the Monegasque on Lap 18.

On the final two laps of his first stint, Leclerc posted a time of 1m33.248s and a 1m33.151s on Laps 16 and 17 respectively which had been solely two tenths of a second slower than his finest time throughout his opening stint. Together with his staff mate Carlos Sainz additionally in a position to decide up his pace afterward throughout the first stint, it’s truthful to counsel that Leclerc had rather more left in his tyres.

In reality, Ferrari anticipated better tyre degradation and rather more grip on the brand new tyres and therefore a way more highly effective undercut impact. Nevertheless, Leclerc’s rivals had been in a position to prolong their opening stint and even increase their tempo, which means that he couldn’t make use of his early pit cease. In reality, the protection automobile meant that he dropped down the order and wanted to pit beneath the SC interruption for a second time to not turn into susceptible after the restart.

Ferrari Staff Principal Frederic Vasseuer conceded that his staff was too conservative relating to Leclerc’s technique.

“And we had been a bit scared with the degradation. Most likely someplace in our thoughts we had the primary races of the season. At the moment we had been far too conservative on the tyre administration and we did not push sufficient.

“Then we’re a bit unfortunate with the Security Automotive – this isn’t in our palms and we do not have to consider this, we now have to consider what we are able to handle. Truthfully I feel that we may have pushed rather more,” concluded the Frenchman.

Elsewhere, McLaren put their drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in a really troublesome state of affairs after the late-race Security Automotive interval.

A digital security automobile interval was triggered on Lap 31 when Kevin Magnussen stopped on the Wellington straight. It prompted the drivers who had been but to pit at that time of the race to dive in to the pit for brand spanking new tyres.

McLaren additionally known as their drivers in and wished to play it protected, becoming the arduous compounds on each automobiles. Nevertheless, the VSC was then upgraded to a security automobile, which means that the direct rivals behind the McLaren duo closed in on Norris and Piastri and the variety of remaining laps on race pace was additional decreased.

With Hamilton making a big soar to P3 because of the protection automobile and Mercedes becoming the mushy tyres on the Briton’s automobile, Norris grew to become susceptible within the first laps.

McLaren Staff Principal Andrea Stella defined that his staff ready the arduous tyres for the 2 drivers and it will have been operationally troublesome to make a sudden change to mushy tyres.

“Below the Digital Security Automotive, we had been joyful to go on Laborious tyres as a result of it would not have been an issue when it comes to heat up. However then the Digital Security Automotive was transformed right into a Security Automotive after we had been pitting, and every little thing was [ready] on the pitstop to place Laborious tyres on. A final-minute change to Smooth would have been an operational downside.

“When you have the pit crew prepared with the Laborious tyres, and also you make a name for Smooth tyres, it implies that the blokes that want to choose the tyres must rush within the storage, take away the blankets, and convey the tyres again. It will possibly create fairly a little bit of a state of affairs, and it may have delayed the pitstop.”