F1 2024 speed gains now “beyond expectation”, says Pirelli

Pirelli says velocity positive factors being made by Components 1 groups at the moment are “past expectation,” because it turns into conscious in regards to the influence on tyre hundreds.

Throughout a season when the grid has began to make some strong positive factors with their 2024 vehicles, current grands prix have highlighted that the progress being made by squads is far higher 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 velocity improve in FP1 year-to-year was 1.7 seconds

Pirelli’s F1 chief engineer Simone Berra admitted that the present vehicles have been now “very quick” – which meant hundreds have been higher on tyres than predicted.

“The final races, we’ve got seen even an excellent larger improve than anticipated, and we’ve got 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 one thought to have these type of hundreds. [They are] mainly past expectation, I might say.

“So it is attention-grabbing how a lot they’re evolving with the vehicles, actually, as a result of we thought that in some unspecified time in the future, they [the teams] would attain form of most degree of efficiency.

“However there are nonetheless some larger hundreds to realize and a few efficiency to realize. And we’re seeing within the final races, for instance, that Mercedes has improved rather a lot. It’s totally attention-grabbing.”

The beneath desk reveals how the pole place instances from final yr examine to this yr which reveals how a lot the lap instances have developed.

* moist qualifying
 
Whereas the positive factors have ramped up this yr, Berra is not sure about how a lot that can circulation into subsequent season.

“We obtained the crew simulations on the finish of November, so we at the moment are taking a look at these intimately,” he stated.

“For the second, we nonetheless haven’t got a transparent image. Clearly, we anticipate some enchancment, however we have to perceive from the info if the rise in efficiency will probably be, to illustrate, a lot decrease and if we will probably be in a extra secure scenario.”

Excessive strain response

Pirelli has at all times been conscious about a rise in hundreds opening up the danger of tyres being pushed past the boundaries and hitting issues.

Prior to now it has generally responded with making structural modifications 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 give attention to sorting the 2026 rubber.

Berra stated that Pirelli doesn’t wish to try this once more subsequent yr

“Mainly, we do not wish to change development all through the season as a result of we expect it is probably not honest,” he stated. “We offer one specification and that must be the identical for the remainder of the season.

“For Silverstone final yr, the explanation was that the advance by way of fatigue was fairly vital, and we proposed this to have a greater integrity for the tyres.

“However we do not anticipate to have one thing related subsequent yr as a result of the brand new construction has improved each fatigue and standing wave resistance.”

A technique 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’d react with the strain, however I might somewhat want to not improve an excessive amount of the strain – and I feel the groups suppose like that too,” added Berra.

“It’s as a result of then you definately begin producing overeating, and begin generate graining. So we wish to maintain the strain as, to illustrate, low as doable.”