2024 F1 cars were faster than expected: teams achieved downforce levels beyond expectations

The 2024 Formula 1 season delivered its final verdicts in the championship’s concluding act, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, but there are still many highly interesting insights to be drawn from the cars that characterized this championship, starting with the fact that their performances exceeded expectations.

This theme was highlighted by the qualifying times at some of the final races of the 2024 Formula 1 campaign, where, thanks to certain factors, a larger-than-expected leap forward in lap times was observed, surprising not only the teams but also Pirelli.

Speaking during the year’s final race weekend, the Italian manufacturer explained how the speeds and improvements achieved by the 2024 cars, both in lap times and load peaks, turned out to be higher than the simulations had predicted.

Every year, Pirelli receives performance and development simulations from the teams for the upcoming season to establish a reference for the potential loads on the tires. In addition to its internal simulations, the manufacturer uses team data for comparison, including long-distance simulations and more detailed reports shared just weeks before a Grand Prix.

It is from comparing the expected data in these simulations with the times and load peaks recorded on track that particularly interesting insights emerged. “In the last races, we witnessed a greater-than-expected performance increase and observed very high loads, especially from two or three teams,” explained Simone Berra, Pirelli’s chief engineer, who closely analyzes this data to understand the load levels acting on each tire during the Grands Prix.

“From the simulations, we usually have one for the end of the season and one for mid-year, and no one expected we would see this level of load. These load levels are practically beyond expectations.”

Even in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the step forward was evident, with an improvement of almost a second compared to the pole position time in 2023. This gap becomes even more pronounced when comparing Lando Norris‘s 2024 pole time to where McLaren was 12 months earlier, exceeding a full second. Observing the list of improvements throughout the season clearly highlights the advancements, particularly on certain tracks.

By late November, Pirelli had already received simulations for the next season, which are currently under evaluation and analysis. For the 2025 Formula 1 cars, however, the Italian manufacturer has already taken steps in recent months in order to address further increases in load, modifying tire construction to better respond to the expected load values from the teams, which will undoubtedly continue to rise.

For this reason, it is not anticipated that construction will need to be changed mid-season as it was in 2023, a very particular case where Pirelli nonetheless reacted quickly. “We do not want to change the construction during the season because we believe it is not right. We provide a specification, and this should remain the same for the rest of the season,” Simone Berra explained.

“For Silverstone last year, the reason was that the increase in stress on the tire was quite significant, and we proposed this change to improve tire integrity. But we do not expect to encounter a similar situation next year [in 2025], as the new structure has improved resistance to tire stress.”

In the case of unforeseen issues and loads even higher than expected, one option could be to respond by increasing tire pressures, an aspect that could effectively be evaluated on a race-by-race basis depending on the circumstances. However, Pirelli would prefer not to increase pressures too much, as this could have side effects.

“We would react by adjusting the pressure, but we would prefer not to raise it too much, and I think the teams agree. This is because increasing pressure can lead to overheating and graining. So, we want to keep pressure as low as possible,” added Simone Berra. It should also be noted that the new 2025 compounds were designed and developed specifically to reduce graining, which in some cases this year was slightly above expectations.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Formula 1 championship, there is an important consideration: the development curve of the teams will not follow the same trajectory seen this year. This is partly because the technical cycle is nearing its end and partly because the 2026 Formula 1 season will bring a major technical revolution. Many teams are already working to determine the best window to shift focus from the 2025 cars to the new technical regulations. For this reason, unlike 2024, when teams introduced significant aerodynamic updates even until the final Grands Prix, development in 2025 could be more restrained.