Free Practice 2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix is putting both the drivers and tyres under serious pressure. With the track temperature approaching 60°C, tyre degradation is already becoming a significant factor, forcing everyone to pay particularly close attention to tyre management.
Bahrain GP tyre degradation puts drivers under pressure
The high temperatures are not the only element making conditions difficult. The characteristics of the ageing track surface are also contributing to the challenge, adding another variable for the drivers as they work through their FP2 programmes and assess Pirelli’s tyre behaviour over the course of a stint.
Speaking during Sky Sports F1’s live coverage, Anthony Davidson also highlighted the role being played by the increasingly old asphalt: “Over the years, this track has developed increasingly distinctive characteristics. If it stays dry, the age of the surface will also play an important role: the tyres are suffering quite a lot.”
Martin Brundle notices unusually cautious lap preparation
Martin Brundle made a similar observation, pointing out how the level of degradation is forcing the drivers to alter their usual approach to preparing a lap.
“With degradation like this, I can see them being much more cautious in their lap preparation than they normally are. It has been quite a long time since I noticed such careful management,” Martin Brundle explained.
The way the tyres behave across longer sequences of laps will therefore be particularly significant as the weekend develops, with practice pace and stint trends available through the F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis.
Leave a Reply