Pirelli, the official tire supplier for F1, takes one last look at the past season as the 2024 championship is just over fifty days away.
The 2023 season for the Italian company is summarized by the numbers: 6,847 sets of tires used, covering a total distance of 307,925.8 km. That’s equivalent to circling the Earth more than eight times.
The stars of the previous season, once again, are the dry-weather tires. Despite rain playing a significant role in multiple races, wet-weather tires were used for only 6.31% of the total distance covered.
Among the slick tires, the most frequently used were those with the C3 compound, followed by C4, C2, C5, and finally C1. Encouraging data is also reported for prototype tires used in Barcelona, Suzuka, and Mexico City. Teams covered a substantial 3,800 km with these experimental tires.
The 2023 record holders: Which driver handled the tires the best?
Pirelli has also shared data on the longest stints during the past season. Oscar Piastri surprised everyone in Saudi Arabia, at only his second F1 appearance, setting a record for the longest distance covered on a single set of tires.
The Australian, forced into a pit stop after a first-lap contact with Gasly, completed the rest of the Grand Prix with a single set of C2 tires—a remarkable 302.5 km.
Piastri narrowly edged out Ocon, who, at Baku, covered 300.5 km on C3 tires, starting from the pit lane.
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Azerbaijan also witnessed the longest stint of the year on soft tires by Bottas. The Finn completed the entire Sprint Race (17 laps for 102 km) with a single set of C5 tires. Bottas also holds the record for the longest distance covered on hard tires: 32 laps at Silverstone.
Record-breaking Netherlands, scorching temperatures in Hungary
The Italian tire manufacturer also provided some insights into the GPs held in 2023. Zandvoort saw the highest number of tire changes at 82, with a tumultuous race where drivers used all three available tire compounds (three slicks, intermediates, and extreme wet).
At the bottom of the list was Miami. In Florida, teams limited themselves to the single mandatory pit stop required by regulations. Regarding temperatures, Austin hosted the hottest race of 2023, with temperatures reaching 34.7 degrees during the Sprint Race. In the Netherlands, the thermometer stopped at only 15 degrees. As for asphalt, the record goes to the Hungaroring, with the track surface reaching a substantial 53.6 degrees. This is a significant difference compared to the mere 18.5 degrees in Las Vegas.
Source: f1ingenerale
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