Pirelli should retain the current tires in 2015 and 2016

This season, the tires and thus Pirelli have been significantly less in the spotlight compared to previous years because the sport had to face such a major engine regulation change that it had to be the main focus: « It was always intended for us to be less visible this year because F1 was going to face a very significant technological change. It was therefore logical and good for the sport that the main topic of discussion was the engines and car design rather than the tires. »

To adapt to these changes, Pirelli was able to benefit from an ideal preparation, with tests conducted very early in the winter. Additionally, these tests were carried out in the mild temperatures of the Middle East, which represented ideal conditions for the manufacturer: « This was an excellent decision. We were able to obtain data in conditions that were close to those we experience during the season. Moreover, we were able to benefit from tests during the season, which helped us make progress. »

However, good things never last very long, especially in Formula 1. These ideal conditions will no longer be present as winter testing will take place in Europe again to limit costs for the teams: « Unfortunately, we will lose these good things. We will no longer go to places that provided interesting data, and we will only do half of the testing during the season. So, we’re back to square one! »

At the beginning of the season, tires were not the priority for teams that were trying to understand their new engines. However, after only three races, they began to be satisfied with their understanding of these new rules and the reliability of their engines. They then very quickly resumed developing their chassis and the interaction with the tires: « The technical collaboration we have with the teams is already at the same level as last year. »

This year, we are witnessing far fewer pit stops than we had last season. However, Paul Hembery does not think that the choices made regarding the characteristics of the tires have been too cautious: « No, I don’t think so. At some point, you have to know what you want. It is not possible to be aggressive and be in the background. I believe we have found a good balance because we have seen some fantastic races, which is the most important thing. »

With this observation in mind, it’s not surprising that the tires offered next year might be very similar to those of this year: We are going to make some changes in the structures and compounds, but they will remain very close to what we currently have. However, we must not forget that the teams will continue to improve their understanding of these tires. And when you go faster, it completely changes how you use the tires. What is conservative today could therefore be aggressive next year. You need to be cautious with these kinds of issues.

Pirelli is even less inclined to make significant changes as its opportunities to test them outside of Grand Prix events will be very limited: « If we can’t do testing, we can’t do development. It’s as simple as that. So it is very likely that the 2016 tires will also be very similar to those of 2015. »

During the Silverstone tests, 18” new rims were seen for the first time on a Lotus, a size requested for years by Pirelli and other manufacturers who might be interested in this sport: « It was mainly a demonstration. There was a meeting of the F1 Commission regarding what the cars should look like in 2017. We decided that instead of just talking about it, it was better to see a real car with these larger tires. We got very good feedback from the teams, but we are in the hands of the sport. They must decide what they want to do. »

However, this demonstration does not necessarily mean that this change will be adopted in the future, as manufacturers have been requesting for almost 20 years to abandon 13” tires and have wider tires again. Therefore, it will not be a sine qua non condition to renew its current contract beyond 2016.

From our special correspondent in Monza