Bojan Vrbnjak
Apparently, the F1 wants to distance itself from excessive tire wear in the 2021 season, which means racers will be able to drive at full throttle for longer periods of time.
From 2021 onwards, a new wind will blow in F1. The new rules are intended to make it easier for racers to follow a competitor in front of them. The guardians of the rules hope that this will achieve more tension in the races. In order for racers to be able to drive at full speed for a longer period of time, they will obviously now also be dealing with high tire wear.
With the new 18-inch wheels, at that time there is already the first change in the tires. The tires are supposed to be significantly more robust to allow racers to drive at full throttle for longer periods of time. FIA technical chief Nicolas Tombazis said: "We want to use tires that will allow riders to race without wearing out quickly." Current tires, which wear out very quickly, are part of this ombudsman plan. By changing the rules from 2021, we are supposed to take a new path, which will be the exact opposite of today's effect. According to F1 technical chief Pat Symonds, talks are already under way with teams and manufacturer Pirelli to develop tires that allow for better racing.
“In the past, we may have asked Pirelli for the wrong things. It is a very complex problem and at the moment we have no real idea what it should look like in the future, ”said Symonds, who added that simulations were already being carried out. But the Briton warns beforehand that pit stops could lose on importance if the tires last significantly longer than they do now. “We know that fans love stops between two and three seconds and that’s why we want to keep those stops. If we develop a tire like in the Le Mans series, then it will last longer, but we will lose stops in the pits. ”
Nevertheless, Symonds agrees with Tombazis. "The goal of having high tire wear was the wrong way." In fact, this concept is intended to facilitate overtaking. In theory, racers are on the road with different tire mixes, as there are different strategies at play. A racer with fresh tires has such an advantage. But unfortunately we are witnessing an unwanted side effect. The tires overheat quickly in duels, making the racer behind the competitor have trouble attacking his competitor. This of course has a negative impact on the race and the tension on the race itself.
Pirelli is already struggling with time constraints, as the development of new tires for the new F1 race cars should begin soon. Pirelli sports boss Mario Isola said: “If we are going to change goals for the 2021 season, we need to know that soon. If F1 wants to have tires that will wear less, or if F1 may have some other idea, then we will be happy if we go in that direction together. ”
