Pirelli says pace positive aspects being made by Method 1 groups are actually “past expectation,” because it turns into aware concerning the influence on tyre hundreds.
Throughout a season when the grid has began to make some strong positive aspects with their 2024 automobiles, current grands prix have highlighted that the progress being made by squads is far better than anticipated.
This has been highlighted once more in Abu Dhabi with Lando Norris’s quickest time from follow of 1m23.517s already simply shy of Max Verstappen’s pole place effort from final yr of 1m23.455s.
However the step up from 12 months is evident, with Charles Leclerc’s quickest FP2 time from 2023 being 1m24.809s. The pace enhance in FP1 year-to-year was 1.7 seconds
Pirelli’s F1 chief engineer Simone Berra admitted that the present automobiles have been now “very quick” – which meant hundreds have been better on tyres than predicted.
“The final races, now we have seen even a good greater enhance than anticipated, and now we have seen very excessive hundreds, particularly from two or three groups,” he defined.
“From the simulations, we usually have one for the top of the season and one for the center of the season for the yr, and no person thought to have these sort of hundreds. [They are] principally past expectation, I might say.
“So it is fascinating how a lot they’re evolving with the automobiles, truthfully, as a result of we thought that in some unspecified time in the future, they [the teams] would attain type of most degree of efficiency.
“However there are nonetheless some greater hundreds to realize and a few efficiency to realize. And we’re seeing within the final races, for instance, that Mercedes has improved loads. It’s totally fascinating.”
The under desk reveals how the pole place instances from final yr evaluate to this yr which reveals how a lot the lap instances have advanced.
Race
2023 Pole Time
2024 Pole Time
Bahrain
1m29.708
1m29.179
Saudi Arabia
1m28.265
1m27.472
Australia
1m16.732
1m15.915
Azerbaijan
1m40.203
1m41.365
Miami
1m26.841
1m27.241
Monaco
1m11.365
1m10.270
Spain
1m12.272
1m11.383
Canada
1m25.858*
1m12.000
Austria
1m04.391
1m04.314
Nice Britain
1m26.720
1m25.819
Hungary
1m16.609
1m15.227
Belgium
1m46.988
1m53.574*
Netherlands
1m10.567
1m09.673
Italy
1m20.294
1m19.327
Singapore
1m30.984
1m29.525
Japan
1m28.877
1m28.197
USA
1m34.723
1m32.330
Mexico
1m17.166
1m15.946
Brazil
1m10.727
1m23.405*
Las Vegas
1m32.726
1m32.312
Qatar
1m23.778
1m20.575
* moist qualifying Whereas the positive aspects have ramped up this yr, Berra is not sure about how a lot that can circulate into subsequent season.
“We obtained the crew simulations on the finish of November, so we are actually taking a look at these intimately,” he mentioned.
“For the second, we nonetheless do not have a transparent image. Clearly, we anticipate some enchancment, however we have to perceive from the information if the rise in efficiency might be, as an instance, a lot decrease and if we might be in a extra secure state of affairs.”
Sparks fly from Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
Excessive stress response
Pirelli has all the time been aware about a rise in hundreds opening up the chance of tyres being pushed past the boundaries and hitting issues.
Up to now it has typically responded with making structural adjustments to the development to assist enhance sturdiness – as occurred on the 2023 British Grand Prix – however that is one thing that will be unlikely for subsequent yr as a result of there’s a concentrate on sorting the 2026 rubber.
Berra mentioned that Pirelli doesn’t need to try this once more subsequent yr
“Mainly, we do not need to change development all through the season as a result of we expect it is not likely truthful,” he mentioned. “We offer one specification and that ought to be the identical for the remainder of the season.
“For Silverstone final yr, the explanation was that the advance when it comes to fatigue was fairly important, and we proposed this to have a greater integrity for the tyres.
“However we do not anticipate to have one thing comparable subsequent yr as a result of the brand new construction has improved each fatigue and standing wave resistance.”
A method that Pirelli might reply to any issues brought on by elevated hundreds may very well be to extend tyre pressures on the season goes on – one thing which it might do on a case-by-case foundation.
“We might react with the stress, however I might moderately desire to not enhance an excessive amount of the stress – and I believe the groups assume like that too,” added Berra.
“It’s as a result of you then begin producing overeating, and begin generate graining. So we wish to maintain the stress as, as an instance, low as potential.”
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