Wednesday 3rd July 2013

Pirelli's Silverstone fightback

"You're doing it wrong" Pirelli tells F1 teams following blowouts

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You've got to feel slightly for Pirelli. 'Make F1 exciting!' was the design brief and, rightly or wrongly, the 2013 tyres have achieved just that. Perhaps taking things a bit far with the blowouts at Silverstone on Sunday.

Pirelli lays blame with pit crews and drivers

There have been lots of angry and indignant words since then, the latest IN CAPITALS from Pirelli, which says the teams were at fault for putting the tyres on the wrong way round and running the pressures too low. And the drivers likewise for literally cutting corners. Basically an instruction to 'RTFM' to the teams, which you can read in full right here.

Following what it describes as "exhaustive analysis of the tyres used at Silverstone" Pirelli blames wrongly mounted tyres for contributing to the blowouts, which wiped out Lewis Hamilton's chances of a home win and saw several safety car periods.

"The tyres supplied this year have an asymmetric structure, which means that they are not designed to be interchangeable," says the Pirelli statement. "The sidewalls are designed in such a way to deal with specific loads on the internal and external sides of the tyre. So swapping the tyres round has an effect on how they work in certain conditions. In particular, the external part is designed to cope with the very high loads that are generated while cornering at a circuit as demanding as Silverstone, with its rapid left-hand bends and some kerbs that are particularly aggressive."

No home win for Hamilton after blowout

Teams using incorrect tyre pressures and overly aggressive camber settings are also listed as contributory factors, Pirelli insisting that when used correctly its tyres are totally safe.

Perhaps regretful of the combative tone of the original statement a follow up was issued not long after, Pirelli's Paul Hembery taking a rather more 'hey guys' conciliatory tone. Following more capitals. "WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE TEAMS, DRIVERS, FIA AND FOM FOR THE SUPPORT THAT WE ARE RECEIVING," it opens, Hembery then quoted as saying, "Contrary to the impression that some people have formed, I would like to underline the collaboration and support that we are receiving from the teams, drivers, FIA and FOM. In no way are we intending to create arguments or attack anybody. We have taken our responsibilities upon ourselves as our press release indicates. But not having full control over all the elements that impact on the use of the tyres, we need everybody's contribution. With regard to this, we are receiving the full support of all the parties involved, for which we are very grateful."

Read into that what you will but, suffice to say, tyres will continue to be at the heart of the debate about F1 in 2013.

Photos: LAT Photographic (Steve Tee, Charles Coates, Jed Leicester and Jakob Ebrey)

 

 

[crabbit]

Just going to leave this here:

[LaurasOtherHalf]

I'll leave this then

(Look closely)

[Rick_1138]

If what I think I am supposed to be seeing is accurate, that's a worry!

[margerison]

Is that wheel on the wrong side?

[mmm-five]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'll leave this then

(Look closely)

Are you referring to the direction arrow on the rear tyre?

[2354519y]

Had a blow out on A road @ 60mph yesterday. The first thing the police officer said was,

"They're not Pirelli are they?"

[Animal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23155008

Looks like some teams were swapping the typres round after quali to try and improve performance and eke out extra laps. Quite a common practice apparently.

More here

[clonmult]

Animal said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23155008

Looks like some teams were swapping the typres round after quali to try and improve performance and eke out extra laps. Quite a common practice apparently.

More here

Blimey; next thing you know Merc will be stretching the tyres out on Hamiltons car .....

[Woody]

Seems like a combination of factors contributed then.

Can't beleive that the tyres don't have 'outside' on the tyre wall - my road tyres do......

Just a thought though - don't Pirelli fit the tyres to the rims for the teams?

Edited by Woody on Wednesday 3rd July 09:41

[chrisw666]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'll leave this then

(Look closely)

Would you have a directional tyre on a slick?

[marshalla]

I always thought that the tyre suppliers actually put them on the wheels for the teams.

Once they're on the wheels, outside is outside and inside is inside no matter which side of the car they're on.


(ETA Bridgestone certainly used to : http://www.f1technical.net/articles/3333 )

Edited by marshalla on Wednesday 3rd July 09:44

[joewilliams]

chrisw666 said:

Would you have a directional tyre on a slick?

It's to do with the construction of the sidewalls & shoulders, which are designed to cope with forces in a specific direction.

[TonyHetherington]

Woody said:

Can't beleive that the tyres don't have 'outside' on the tyre wall - my road tyres do......

They have a rotational direction on them, and only one side can be the outside if the rotation is correct.

[chrisw666]

joewilliams said:

It's to do with the construction of the sidewalls & shoulders, which are designed to cope with forces in a specific direction.

But the forces will apply in both directions, unless you're telling me they design a tyre wall to cope with each track.

[crabbit]

chrisw666 said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

I'll leave this then

(Look closely)

Would you have a directional tyre on a slick?

Read the press release

[chrisw666]

crabbit said:

Read the press release

Instead of asking someone else to explain stuff to me? You're boring.

[Monty Zoomer]

Woody said:

Seems like a combination of factors contributed then.

Can't beleive that the tyres don't have 'outside' on the tyre wall - my road tyres do......

Just a thought though - don't Pirelli fit the tyres to the rims for the teams?

Edited by Woody on Wednesday 3rd July 09:41

If you swap the wheels over the tyres will still have the same outsides so it won't make any difference. That's what they've been doing. After practice they just put them back on the opposite sides to make them last longer.

Bigger, clearer directional arrows would be nice though. They'd be good for spectators, and the pitstop coverage would be more interesting.

[mercfunder]

chrisw666 said:

joewilliams said:

It's to do with the construction of the sidewalls & shoulders, which are designed to cope with forces in a specific direction.

But the forces will apply in both directions, unless you're telling me they design a tyre wall to cope with each track.

Don't people bother to read nowadays?

Quoted from above...

"The tyres supplied this year have an asymmetric structure, which means that they are not designed to be interchangeable," says the Pirelli statement. "The sidewalls are designed in such a way to deal with specific loads on the internal and external sides of the tyre. So swapping the tyres round has an effect on how they work in certain conditions.

[chrisw666]

mercfunder said:

Don't people bother to read nowadays?

No because when I opened the original thread the article wasn't attached to the top of it.

[crabbit]

chrisw666 said:

crabbit said:

Read the press release

Instead of asking someone else to explain stuff to me? You're boring.

Quite.

The press release explains it quite clearly though. The Slicks, despite having no tread, are asymmetrical; hence the requirement to follow the manufacturers instructions with respect to fitment.