Between missed strategies and unpredictable tires, the role of an experienced driver is once again crucial in chasing victories—not just through data.
F1 – There is often debate about the driver’s role, their ability to influence a car’s development, or their impact on race strategies. Over the years, the driver’s importance has gradually diminished, partly due to continuous restrictions on track testing and partly because of the growing reliance on precise simulation and predictive tools.
That Niki Lauda who first entered Ferrari and completely overhauled the car after testing it on track is now a distant memory, romanticized by films. Today, it is far more complex for a professional to provide feedback that directly shapes a car’s development path.
A driver’s sensitivity remains intact, but the number of tools that collect data imperceptible to humans—yet crucial for fine-tuning the car—is so vast that engineers tend to rely more on them than on the impressions of the person behind the wheel.
However, there is still one area where a driver’s sensitivity remains indispensable. This is particularly evident when even those who design, build, and supply the car struggle to understand their own product. This refers to Pirelli and the tires it provides to the teams.
Throughout the 2024 championship, Pirelli’s strategic forecasts have repeatedly been contradicted by on-track reality. Races expected to require two pit stops turned into one-stop Grands Prix, while events predicted to favor single-stoppers ended up being far more fragmented.
F1: The Driver Still Influences Tire Management
Think back to George Russell’s almost-win at Spa-Francorchamps or Charles Leclerc’s victory at Monza—races dominated by the driver’s intuition. At key moments, they overruled the pit wall, a place filled with brilliant minds and computational tools, and pushed forward against seemingly rigid strategic calculations.
If there is one area where a modern driver can still make a difference, it is tire management. Team radios, which we have become accustomed to hearing and analyzing, often reveal a one-way flow of communication, though the source changes depending on the topic. When it comes to engine mapping, brake balance, and other technical parameters, the engineer gives instructions—the driver follows. It seems paradoxical, but that’s how it works.
In contrast, especially during races, the flow of information shifts direction—from the pit wall to the driver, then from the driver back to the engineers. But this is not an automatic process that works with just any of the 20 drivers on the grid. It requires something more—a driver with the right level of experience to make it work.
It’s no coincidence that we’ve seen this happen with seasoned drivers, which might also explain Ferrari’s decision to bet on Lewis Hamilton. His expertise in tire management and race evaluation is top-tier, despite any criticisms about the technical logic behind signing him.
For 2025, Pirelli plans to introduce tires that are easier to use or, at the very least, more predictable in behavior. A softer compound will also be introduced for tracks like Monaco, aimed at increasing strategic variety and preventing processional races that are decided after the first corner. And in this evolving landscape, the role of the “driver-interpreter” might become even more essential—something that would be invaluable in a Formula 1 that is becoming increasingly predictable.
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