What to find out about Pirelli’s new specification of slick tyres?
Formulation One’s sole tyre provider Pirelli has introduced that it’ll introduce a brand new specification slick tyre from the British Grand Prix onwards after evaluating the efficiency positive factors and improvement charge of the present F1 vehicles. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó studies on the important thing in-season technical change.
Pirelli launched new 18-inch tyres for the 2022 season that additionally noticed the introduction of brand-new ground-effect vehicles. Though drivers had been delighted with the brand new era of F1 tyres final 12 months, vehicles tended to provide understeer which Pirelli meant to appropriate for the continued season by implementing few adjustments to the entrance tyres.
Nevertheless, following the opening races in 2023, the Milan-based tyre provider was shocked on the improve in efficiency of the present vehicles after only one full season of improvement and now intends to react to the elevated velocity and downforce of the 2023 vehicles.
The explanation – Pirelli just isn’t solely shocked by the present downforce ranges the brand new era F1 vehicles produce within the second 12 months of the brand new technical period, however it’s also anticipating higher velocity and downforce afterward as improvement continues throughout the season.
The Milan-based tyre producer endured a tough British Grand Prix again in 2020 when Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz all suffered surprising tyre failures within the closing 4 laps of the Silverstone race.
Again then, Pirelli concluded a radical investigation that highlighted a number of causes for the tyre blowouts. Among the many causes was the elevated tempo of the 2020 F1 vehicles in comparison with the earlier 12 months which led to extraordinarily difficult working situations for the tyres. Pirelli reacted to the problem by updating tyre utilization steerage for groups and rising the minimal tyre pressures to scale back the pressure on the constructions.
How is it potential? – In regular circumstances, an in-season rule change requires a super-majority of eight groups to vote in favour. Nevertheless, the FIA can drive by adjustments on security grounds which doesn’t require the settlement of the competing groups.
Following the primary races, Pirelli felt that rapid adjustments had been mandatory and subsequently has requested the FIA’s authorisation to introduce a brand new specification of slick tyre from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone onwards. The request underneath article 10.8.3 of the Formulation 1 technical laws has been permitted.
First trial – Groups may have the chance to check the brand new specification slick tyres on the Spanish Grand Prix that takes place one month previous to the race at Silverstone. Drivers will get two additional tyres throughout Friday’s first and second free observe periods which is able to allow the engineers to evaluate the influence the brand new tyres may have on the present vehicles.
In actual fact, the process won’t be new to groups and drivers. With Pirelli having already chosen race weekends for tyre testing over the course of the final years, groups and drivers are used to deal with the additional workload in the course of the Friday observe periods that are condensed anyway as a result of decreased observe time.
Pirelli revealed that the brand new specification will sport a sterner, more durable tyre development with the compound sorts staying the identical. The brand new specification will see the introduction of supplies which were initially deliberate for 2024.
Pirelli’s F1 chief Mario Isola commented: “We’ve seen how way more efficiency the 2023 vehicles have in comparison with final 12 months all through the opening races of this season, and that’s due to the extraordinary tempo of improvement proven by all 10 of the groups.
“In Miami, for instance, the pole time was almost two seconds sooner than final 12 months, however the identical type of progress has been seen throughout races as nicely. Pirelli’s simulation work has all the time been geared toward not solely supplying a product that hits the efficiency targets specified by stakeholders, but additionally anticipating any potential issues and reacting to them rapidly.
“The brand new specification incorporates supplies that we now have already developed for 2024, which is able to make the tyres extra resistant with out affecting any of the opposite technical parameters or their behaviour on observe.
“To permit all of the groups to check the brand new development on a stage taking part in subject, Pirelli will provide two additional tyre units per automobile for use throughout FP1 and FP2 on the Spanish Grand Prix.”
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