The pre-season testing session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona was the first occasion in which Formula 1 drivers were able to test the 18-inch tires, designed by Pirelli for the 2022 Formula 1 season, on board the 2022 cars.
Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz admitted that he was quite satisfied with the performance of the new Pirelli tires, underlining their lower tendency of overheating and degradation. Below is an extract of the statements made by the Spaniard as reported by Motorsport at the end of the first pre-season testing session:
“I did quite a bit of testing last year. I think I did three or four days in total with the new compounds and it looks like they fit well with this new generation of cars. It seems like they allow at least to push a little bit more than the ones we had last year. Compared to previous years, perhaps they suffer less from overheating, a little less degradation. Surely they are still tires that suffer from these two phenomena, but now they do it more gradually. The work carried out by Pirelli last year and the development they have made on these tires seems to be starting to pay off.” – the Spanish driver added.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection from Puma!
Another aspect that Carlos Sainz emphasized regarding the 18-inch Pirelli tires is the performance delta of time between the different compounds. According to him, the delta has increased compared to previous years:
“There seems to be a fairly large gap between the compounds. In recent years this has often not been the case. For example, between C2, C3 and C4 the gap between them was not that great. Indeed, they were all very close. In Barcelona, at least with the winter conditions in which we tested, the gap and grip between one compound and the other seems to be great. So, in this sense, there are some more differences compared to 2021 ” – Carlos Sainz explained.
Leave a Reply