F1: How Pirelli discovered a serious tire issue in Qatar

An unexpected piece of news has the potential to disrupt the entire Formula 1 weekend at Losail. Following the events of yesterday, Pirelli examined its tires and uncovered an issue that could jeopardize safety and cause damage during the race in Qatar. Therefore, the FIA swiftly issued an urgent statement, introducing significant changes to ensure the weekend proceeds safely.

The Nature of the Pirelli Tire Issue

During the day yesterday, there were no signs of a potential problem with Pirelli tires. The tires returned to the Italian manufacturer appeared to be in excellent condition, and no team reported any malfunctions of any kind. However, during the routine analysis on Friday evening, Pirelli discovered anomalies in the tires that had completed more than twenty laps. The analysis process involves cutting the tire for an in-depth examination of the internal structure. This classic test revealed a separation on the side between the rubber compound and the tire cord on many of the inspected tires. The damage appears to primarily affect the front tires, especially the left side, but all four tires exhibited damage.

Pirelli immediately notified the FIA, which decided to issue a statement to take corrective action. In particular, the statement reads: “FIA and Pirelli believe that an excessive number of additional laps on these tires may cause damage to the structure and subsequent air loss. The analyzed tires that completed fewer laps showed a much more limited extension of the problem.”

A Repeat of the 2021 Scenario?

The possible cause of tire damage seems to lie in the track’s curbs. The statement, in fact, reads: “The problem was probably caused by high-frequency interference between the tire’s sidewall and the “pyramidal” curbs used on this circuit. The whole situation was then aggravated by the tendency to exploit these curbs.”

This all brings to mind what was already seen in 2021 when many cars suffered punctures during the race. This year, the organizers modified all the curbs to resolve the issue, but evidently, the work done was not sufficient. Many teams were already concerned about the new solution during Thursday’s track walk. In particular, they feared there could be damage to the undercarriage, but instead, it’s the tires that are still suffering.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

What’s quite interesting is that the problem affects both the outer and inner sides of the tire. The outside is damaged when the cars run along the sharp outer edge of the curbs, while the inner side sustains damage when the single-seaters exceed the curbs and traverse them beyond the outer limit. This issue is greatly exacerbated if it happens every lap. For this reason, the FIA is considering limiting the maximum stint for a set of tires to 20 laps.

The Most Significant Tire Problem Since Indianapolis 2005

What’s happening in Qatar with Pirelli tires could be the most significant tire problem since 2005 in Indianapolis. On that occasion, only six cars took part in the race, all of them on Bridgestone tires. All other vehicles equipped with Michelin tires left the grid after the formation lap due to the high number of failures that had occurred during practice.

This time, the problem affects the entire field, and we will see if it has significant consequences for the rest of the weekend. For now, the Sprint Race has been postponed, and the FIA will reassess the track limits on the most dangerous corners for the tires. The drivers will have an extra practice session of 10 minutes to get used to the changes.