Pirelli confirms all teams bar Williams will participate in 18-inch tyre tests

12 comments on “Pirelli confirms all teams bar Williams will participate in 18-inch tyre tests”

1. 

   t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
   1st March 2021, 18:06

   Any insight into why Williams are the only team who won’t be involved?
   1. 

      Retired (@jeff1s)
      1st March 2021, 18:24

      I guess the cost of operating a mule car and that the information will be shared equally amongst teams.
2. 

   Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
   1st March 2021, 18:17

   I can only assume Williams believe not testing the new 18 inch rimmed wheels is to their advantage.
3. 

   Robbie (@robbie)
   1st March 2021, 19:39

   I don’t know but I wonder if their cars lately just don’t produce enough downforce, let alone would a mule version, so perhaps not able to offer up viable tire data for Pirelli to glean that they can’t get from the other 9. Just speculating.
4. 

   Alex
   1st March 2021, 21:13

   Yeah, I can only imagine that they don’t think the rewards outweigh the financial outlay. Not ideal for them though and a missed opportunity
   1. 

      Robbie (@robbie)
      1st March 2021, 21:24

      Alex I don’t think there are rewards nor is this a missed opportunity. The 9 teams are just helping Pirelli develop the new tires but they aren’t privy to the data. Sure all the teams will benefit by helping Pirelli, but Pirelli will be sharing data with all teams anyway, equally.

      But during the actual tests the teams will have little knowledge of what compound they’re driving, perhaps not even what air pressures, nor will they know if what they tested will actually become the final products once they are racing in anger. Plus there’s the reality that next year the cars will be entirely different anyway, compared to the mule cars they’re running for these tests. So whatever drivers think or feel about whatever tires they are on for these tests will have little to do with once they will actually know what compounds and pressures and cambers etc they’ll have real knowledge of once they are on the entirely different 2022 cars. It’s a bit of track time for them that will inevitably give them a feel for the 18”ers, but once they are testing ahead of the 2022 season Williams will have had the same data about the tires in the off-season, and then they will get up to speed as quickly as everyone else.
      1. 

         Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
         2nd March 2021, 2:12

         @robbie great information! How do you know all this? Not questioning it, just curious to how you know.
         1. 

            Robbie (@robbie)
            2nd March 2021, 6:11

            @justrhysism Thanks Rhys, in the last number of years it has really been from reading articles here on this site as well as taking info from other posters who are much more knowledgeable than I. Oh there was a time when I bought F1 magazines religiously and poured over them, but as I say more recently it’s been mainly here and googling for specific info otherwise. I’ve been following F1 for a long time too, like many here.

            Pirelli has spoken about how they conduct these tire tests in the past, about the tests being quite ‘blind’ to the teams, for as the sole supplier they simply wouldn’t want to favour any one team nor be seen to be doing so, nor would other teams let them get away with that as there would be outrage, as well from fans, and so I particularly reacted to the concept that Williams have ‘missed out on an opportunity.’

            There was a lot of buzz around this topic in 2013 when tires started exploding and at a point Pirelli and Mercedes conducted a test thinking they had F1 and FIA’s blessing to do so but some teams objected thinking it was unfair, with Pirelli claiming they had given all teams the opportunity. They talked about that test being blind to the team at that time but there was still an air of suspicion surrounding that. I personally felt the test was necessary and they had to do things the way they did due to the severity of the situation with failing tires, but anyway, I digress and there’s tons of articles on the topic online.
            1. 

               Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
               2nd March 2021, 10:49

               @robbie yeah I vaguely remember the issues around 2013 with Mercedes too, but not in any detail. You have a great memory!
      2. 

         Fraz
         2nd March 2021, 6:14

         You are correct In 1 way. The aero is dramatically changing but setup and geometry will remain similar and also how the car is designed to interact with the tyre.
         The more base line info the team can provide to Pirelli with their own car the more Pirelli will take that into account with what works for next years finalised compound and constructions.
         While only a test it also give driver a glimpse into what the 18 inch tyre is reacting to bumps camber and road.
         Team also get data from load sensors on their car allowing them to adjust accordingly for the loss of tyre side wall.
         1. 

            rpaco
            3rd March 2021, 11:49

            I think the geometry will need to change. There is very little sidewall movement in the low profile tyres, (which is their main advantage) but unlike the current wheels/tyres they will require some actual suspension movement, something we have not seen for many years.
            This may require the “Centre of Roll” to move, which having read the explanation of same recently, in Race Care Engineering, is both critical and complicated, being a major factor in defining lengths, angles and attachment points which must be built into castings and hard points.

            Of course nowadays you can test things within the computer model but computer time is becoming limited in the future.
5. 

   cduk_mugello (@cduk_mugello)
   1st March 2021, 23:00

   Magny-Cours! Must be the first F1 cars round there in nearly 15 years? Great track. Didn’t seem to get much love from the F1 fraternity but always seemed to through up overtaking and a few good Grands Prix. Plus it was mega to drive on the F1 games. Nurburgring and Imola chicanes were fantastic. Will be good to see a modern car going round there, even in the wet.

Comments are closed.