New compounds and an extra tire: what Pirelli has planned for 2025 F1 season
11/10/2024 07:29 AM
Pirelli is intensively working on its 2025 tire lineup, with recent tests conducted during the Mexican Grand Prix. The upcoming product centers around a new construction paired with a wider range of compounds, allowing greater distinctions between each specification. Additionally, the Italian manufacturer plans to introduce an ultra-soft tire designed specifically for street circuits like Monte Carlo. Recently, Mario Isola, head of Pirelli motorsport, shared exclusive insights with the FormulaPassion website on the full range of innovations planned for 2025.
New Structure
Pirelli's 2025 lineup will feature a fresh construction approach, aimed at more than just improved reliability. As Isola explained, "We're introducing a new construction to enhance tire integrity without altering pressure levels. One of our goals is to reduce overheating by refining both the construction and compound packages. Overheating is challenging to pinpoint since it often comes down to driver feedback, which we try to correlate with physical parameters like surface or carcass temperature. Yet, that correlation isn't always present; sometimes, what a driver perceives as overheating is actually a loss of grip not linked to temperature rise."
Mario Isola assures that after extensive analysis, Pirelli has developed solutions to combat overheating. Like with the 2022 model, delaying the onset of overheating will allow drivers to push harder and follow competitors closely for longer without sacrificing tire performance. This improvement would favor tighter racing, addressing the difficulties posed by modern aerodynamic challenges.
A New Compound for City Circuits
The compounds themselves will also undergo changes, with Mario Isola hinting at plans to amplify the performance gaps between different specifications: "I'm aiming for a lineup with wider performance gaps. For instance, the difference between the C1 and C2 compounds is minimal. I also want to introduce a C6, an ultra-soft compound for use in select races—around three to four—such as city circuits. Currently, with C3, C4, and C5, we're not aggressive enough on certain tracks." The idea for a C6 compound emerged after yet another unexciting Monaco Grand Prix, where low tire degradation limited the racing excitement. However, implementing the C6 compound still requires FIA approval.
Overall, Pirelli's 2025 tire lineup is set to significantly influence race strategies in the coming season. Mario Isola foresees a learning curve for teams during the initial races as they adjust to the new tires. "Yes, to some extent, since the new construction will require adaptation. It's not a revolution, but there will still be a learning curve, particularly due to the new compounds," the Italian manager noted.
Separating Race and Qualifying Tires
Looking further ahead, Mario Isola is considering a potential shift in tire allocation rules for the race weekend, aiming to give teams more flexibility during individual sessions: "Currently, we start with a standard allocation and then teams return a specific number of sets after each free practice session, linking tire availability for qualifying to race strategy. This forces teams to make tough choices about whether to reserve tires for qualifying or save some for the race. I'd like to find a way to separate those two needs without increasing the overall tire count." However, this idea is unlikely to be implemented as early as 2025.
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