F1 News
Pirelli wants to avoid drama and aims to introduce new tires in the UK
Pirelli, the tyre supplier in Formula 1, has proposed to the FIA that it will run with a different tyre construction from the Grand Prix weekend in the United Kingdom. The 2023 cars are rapidly becoming faster and therefore the tyre supplier wants to introduce a stronger tyre.
The cars in 2023 may be faster than Pirelli expected and to avoid tyre dramas (like in Baku 2021) Pirelli wants to intervene in time. So the change is not for safety reasons, but to avoid future problems, such as tyre failures.
New tyre at Silverstone
Pirelli has proposed to run with a harder tyre construction from the British GP weekend in early July, Pirelli reports in a press release. However, the composition of the new tyres will not change and thus will remain identical to the current tyres. According to sources, the current cars are already producing the amount of downforce that Pirelli only expected by the end of the season.
According to technical regulations in Formula 1, any structural change during the season must go through a formal process. The change must also be approved by the teams. Eight out of ten teams must support the plan for approval. This often poses little to no problems, like in 2021.
Testing in Spain
During the Grand Prix in Spain at the beginning of June, the new, stronger tires will first be tested. "To allow all the teams to test the new construction on a level playing field, Pirelli will supply two extra tyre sets per car to be used during FP1 and FP2 at the Spanish Grand Prix," said Mario Isola in the press release.