2024 tyre warmer ban: Formula 1 assessing impact on undercut

One of the goals of Formula 1 is to make the sport more sustainable, collaborating with its partners, including Pirelli. For this reason, the Italian manufacturer is working hard to develop tyres that do not require the use of tyre warmers before being mounted on the cars, which involves extensive behind-the-scenes work.

It is a complex challenge because the tyre structure had to be completely redesigned. It now needs to withstand low-pressure efforts when leaving the pit lane, while also avoiding overheating once the tyre has stabilized and entered the correct operating range. According to Pirelli’s estimates, this transition could lead to a pressure increase of approximately 8 to 10 psi, which is why testing with multiple prototypes is a key element.

Pirelli has already conducted initial tests with contrasting feedback from drivers and teams. Some have been overall impressed by their performance, while others have highlighted safety concerns, especially during the track warm-up phase. However, there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration ahead of the vote scheduled for next month after the British Grand Prix, where the decision to adopt or reject non-preheated tyres will be made.

One of the aspects under scrutiny revolves around the impact they will have on racing, as they could limit opportunities in terms of strategy. Over the years, given the difficulty of overtaking on track, the undercut has become increasingly crucial for engineers on the pit wall, providing a viable alternative to gain positions over opponents. However, with the elimination of tyre warmers, there is a risk that this possibility will diminish because the tyres will not offer maximum grip right from the initial moments after leaving the pit lane.

On certain tracks with higher temperatures or more demanding high-energy corners, this heating process could occur quickly, while on other circuits, it might take longer, affecting the possibility of overtaking other cars after a pit stop. Mario Isola explained that detailed simulations are currently being conducted in collaboration with Formula 1 to understand the impact of not preheating the tires.

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“Safety is our priority, and we will not provide any tire that is not safe. But entertainment is important, and in this analysis, we also need to understand the impact, not only on heating but also in terms of degradation level, peak grip, and similar elements,” said the head of Pirelli Motorsport – “We need to simulate races and race scenarios together with the FIA and Formula 1 to see what the strategies are and so on. It is possible that we will discover that everyone is pushed towards a single pit stop for many reasons. When we talk about strategy, it’s a mix of factors. It involves tire degradation, time lost in the pit lane, and the difficulty of overtaking because traffic obviously has a different influence on strategy. We always have to consider the whole package because it’s not just about the tire working on a car and a circuit.” – he pointed out.

If the tires take longer to reach their optimal performance, the element of the undercut could be diminished. It could be argued that those with tires that have completed one more lap could take advantage by attacking those who have just exited the pits. This argument has some favorable elements, but it is also true that those who have tried this particular type of tires have added that, in reality, in some cases, just a few corners are enough to bring the tires to temperature, although the value depends on the specific track being considered.

Therefore, in the various tests conducted between the end of 2022 and the first part of 2023, Pirelli has closely monitored the sectors after exiting the pit lane in order to have detailed references on the time required to bring the tires to a good level of performance. “I know that the drivers are not happy because this is a big change, and they will have to change their approach. We know that if the undercut no longer works, the situation will be different. For this reason, for example, during our development tests, we are also monitoring the exit sectors, sector by sector, to understand the difference in terms of lap time or sector time. We are trying to collect as much data as possible to provide useful information for making a decision,” added the Italian engineer.

According to Mario Isola, it is unrealistic to think that a tire that does not require preheating will have the same performance as those that are prepared using tire warmers: “If the goal is to have a tire without covers that works exactly like the current one, it is not possible. I tell you it is impossible. But it is not only impossible for us, it is impossible for anyone because if you go out with a cold tire, you cannot have the same grip as you have now with a temperature of 70 degrees. Maybe in Bahrain, just one corner is enough because the asphalt is very aggressive, the temperature is high, and the layout helps put energy into the tire. But in Monaco, it will take more. In Spielberg, it will take more. It’s a different approach.” – Mario Isola explained.

These considerations will also be further explored in the Silverstone test where Red Bull, Williams, and Haas will be testing, and they will then contribute to the vote next month, where the FIA, Pirelli, teams, and drivers will make a decision on the use of the new tires in the 2024 Formula One season.