System 1 tyre provider Pirelli and the FIA have labored collectively on an motion plan that ought to assist keep away from a repeat of the tyre issues that marred final 12 months’s Qatar Grand Prix, Autosport has realized.
As F1 returned to the revamped Losail circuit in 2023, it hit hassle as tyre issues have been encountered due to injury being brought on by new ‘pyramid’ kerbs that had been put in.
Following the primary free observe, Pirelli found microscopic separations within the sidewalls between the topping compounds and the carcass cords.
This was triggered by drivers working over the brand new kerbs, which featured a raised 50mm border – inflicting vital impacts because the tyres dropped over the sting. The problem was magnified due to the high-speed nature of the venue.
Talking on the time about what was responsible for the difficulty, Pirelli’s head of F1 and automotive racing Mario Isola mentioned: “It isn’t simply the geometry of the kerbs, as a result of these kerbs are utilized in many different circuits. It is the time and the pace they keep on the kerbs that’s necessary.
“So, right here, in the course of the lap, all of the drivers are spending various time at excessive pace on the kerbs, and that is damaging the development.”
Qatar pyramid kerbs
Picture by: Alex Kalinauckas
Amid issues about this injury opening the door to potential failures, the FIA intervened and mandated most stint lengths of 18 laps for brand spanking new tyres within the race, which was duly was a three-stopper.
In a bid to keep away from repeat issues, Pirelli and the FIA have labored exhausting on a response to strive to make sure that the tyres keep away from an identical punishment this 12 months.
The largest change made will likely be on the circuit, with the pyramid-shaped kerbs having had their suggestions rounded off at seven of the monitor’s 16 corners.
These are on the first two corners, Turns 4 and 10 after which the part from Turns 12 to 14 the place probably the most stress was placed on the tyres final 12 months.
To additional discourage drivers from pushing issues too far, the FIA has additionally put in a variety of gravel strips behind the kerbs.
In addition to the bodily work on the monitor, Pirelli has carried out experiments on its dynamic check beds at its Motorsport R&D Division in Milan to higher perceive the forces at play.
This has concerned working tyres over a pattern of the brand new kerb design that has been equipped to it by the FIA to see if there may be any danger of repeat issues.
Additional information has additionally been captured from earlier automotive testing that some groups have carried out in latest weeks in Qatar.
Though the outdated automotive testing doesn’t contain working the 2024-spec race tyres, the suggestions gathered has been helpful in correlating the work being carried out again in Milan with what is going on in the actual world.
With Losail being one of the crucial punishing tracks of the season by way of power ranges, Pirelli is taking the toughest three compounds from its vary.