A new technical battle behind the scenes: “The difference will show in hot races”
Another technical battle is quietly taking place behind the scenes in Formula 1. While much of the attention is focused on power units and aerodynamics, teams are also investing heavily in wheel rim development, a component that returned to team-controlled development this year.
Pirelli has identified several different philosophies when it comes to tyre temperature management, and these differences are expected to become increasingly evident as the European summer approaches. Particular attention is being paid to Mercedes, which, according to Kimi Antonelli, has invested significantly in tyre cooling solutions.
The battle over wheel rims
Even with the new generation of Formula 1 cars, performance levels continue to be heavily influenced by temperature variations. This is a direct consequence of the growing attention teams are dedicating to tyre cooling, with each outfit pursuing its own development path.
“There is a trend and, in my opinion, the difference will become much more evident during hot races between those who have worked to cool the tyres more aggressively and those who have instead focused on operating them at higher temperatures,” explained Simone Berra, Pirelli’s Chief Engineer.
Last year, there was already considerable discussion about brake drums and cooling ducts, particularly those developed by McLaren, which were designed to regulate heat transfer between the brake discs and the tyres. This year, however, the challenge has become even broader because the new regulations have liberalized wheel rim development.
“The major difference compared to last year is that the rims are no longer standardized components. They have become a genuine development area for the teams,” Berra explained.
“Each team has its own philosophy, including how heat is exchanged between the wheel rim, the internal air and the tyre. Depending on the design choices made by the teams, we are seeing tyre temperature and pressure evolution patterns that differ much more significantly from car to car.”
“Every team has made its own decisions in order to achieve specific operating temperatures and pressures. Naturally, when conditions are colder, some design choices can work against you. If your wheel rim concept is designed to cool the tyre aggressively, you can then encounter difficulties bringing the tyre into its operating window.”
“Others have chosen an approach closer to last year’s philosophy, with a more linear pressure evolution aimed at maintaining slightly higher tyre temperatures. In colder conditions, those teams tend to have an advantage.”
Keep an eye on Mercedes
In Canada, several teams struggled to bring their tyres up to temperature. That was not particularly surprising, as the Montreal circuit traditionally generates low levels of tyre energy and was accompanied by relatively cool weather conditions.
Until last season, Mercedes was often the car that benefited most from colder conditions and from operating tyres at lower-than-normal temperatures. Initially, many believed the W17 had inherited the same characteristics, but according to Kimi Antonelli, the cool Canadian conditions may actually have worked against the Silver Arrows.
“Our car is very good at cooling the tyres,” Antonelli explained. “This weekend it was so cold that it was difficult to bring them into the correct temperature window, and I think that penalized us a little.”
The Italian driver’s comments suggest that Mercedes is among the teams that designed its wheel rims specifically to minimize tyre overheating, while continuing to push further in that direction through the updates introduced in Canada.
“This package gives you more downforce and we could feel that, but it has also improved the level of cooling,” Kimi Antonelli added.
The W17 could therefore become even more competitive as summer temperatures rise, particularly when it comes to managing thermal degradation. Ferrari, however, also appears to perform well in hotter conditions, something repeatedly highlighted by team principal Fred Vasseur throughout the season.
A combination of factors
There is little doubt that the arrival of summer and the European rounds will increase the importance of thermal degradation. Generating high levels of aerodynamic load will be a valuable asset in tyre management over long stints, but it is far from guaranteed that the cars with the most grip will automatically suffer less performance decline.
“In hot races, thermal degradation is the primary factor,” Berra explained. “If you overheat the tyres and move outside the operating window, the pace drop-off becomes much greater. Even if a car generates more downforce and is more stable through the corners, it may still generate higher tyre temperatures because of a different wheel rim design philosophy.”
Berra emphasized that tyre degradation is influenced by a complex combination of factors rather than a single design element: “There are certainly many contributing factors,” he continued. “Downforce also plays a role because if the car slides, it creates micro-slips that generate high surface temperatures and lead to severe thermal degradation.”
“It is a combination of wheel rim philosophy and the overall design of the car. It also depends on how the suspension allows the tyre to work through high-speed corners and how it distributes energy across the tread. That is another important factor that significantly influences degradation.”
Ultimately, the first truly hot race of the season may provide the clearest indication of which team has done the best job managing tyre degradation. What is already certain, however, is that wheel rim development has once again become an important technical battleground capable of making a meaningful difference in Formula 1 performance.
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