Pirelli now believes that the tyre failures suffered by Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in Components 1’s Qatar Grand Prix weren’t brought on by particles from the mirror run over by Valtteri Bottas.
The Mercedes and Ferrari drivers each suffered entrance left failures inside seconds of one another throughout the Qatar occasion, which additionally coincided with a second when elements from Alex Albon’s discarded mirror have been unfold throughout the start-finish straight after being run over by Bottas’s Sauber.
It was initially suspected that the 2 punctures have been the results of the drivers working over mirror particles, however extra detailed evaluation over latest days seems now to have dominated that out.
Pirelli F1 chief engineer Simone Berra says that detailed investigation work has now commenced at its Milan base to resolve what occurred, and work out precisely what did trigger the problems.
Nonetheless, early evaluation of telemetry that has taken place within the days after the race has already proven that each drivers have been struggling strain losses earlier than they went previous the mirror particles.
Requested by Motorsport.com in regards to the newest on the investigation, Berra mentioned: “Wanting on the telemetry information, clearly we seen that the strain loss was earlier than Bottas hit the mirror on the straight.
“So mainly, these punctures occurred on different locations of the circuit, due to different particles, or for different causes.”
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, makes a pit cease
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
The Qatar tyres solely arrived again in Italy a number of days in the past and work on trying into what occurred started on Thursday.
Berra added: “We’re going to do all our traditional checks – taking a look at a [cross] part within the tyres, checking the sidewall, doing a little fatigue life, and residual life when it comes to fatigue resistance.
“We’re doing all these assessments, after which clearly we are going to inform the FIA and the groups on the result. However for the second, we nonetheless have no outcomes.
“All the things continues to be ongoing. Most likely we could have one thing on the finish of subsequent week, however most certainly in two weeks there shall be a correct and full overview of what occurred.”
Pushed on whether or not there was any early indication if the failures have been brought on by the Qatar kerbs or one other piece of particles, Berra mentioned: “That is what we want to perceive.
“After all, that is essential. It is essential for the groups. It is essential for us. So we want to go very a lot intimately to know if it was particles or not.”
Pirelli’s conclusion in regards to the failures not coming from mirror particles match what Mercedes has now additionally suspected occurred.
Talking earlier this week, Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin informed the crew’s common post-race video debrief: “We’ve the video information and we will see precisely when that mirror acquired smashed, when it acquired damaged into quite a lot of items.
“We’ve additionally acquired the on-car information, and we’re measuring the strain within the tyres reside. Surprisingly, we will see Lewis begin to lose strain previous to the mirror being hit by Valtteri. We’d due to this fact say it’s unlikely that it was a particles puncture.
“It doesn’t imply that he didn’t decide up some particles elsewhere, however we have to watch for Pirelli to do their evaluation and their investigations.”
The front-left tyre is put by way of great forces at Losail, and the dearth of degradation meant groups pushed the wear and tear of their rubber to 100% ranges – which leaves tyres inclined to wreck.
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