Wet weather racing in F1 has become a hot topic in recent years. The farce in Spa 2021 and an increased number of accidents in the rain have only increased the pressure. Pirelli, the sole tyre supplier of F1 and its feeder series, finds itself trying to achieve a difficult task. Under Mario Isola, it has to find a way to appease all parties: F1, the FIA, and the drivers.
What has happened in recent years?
As the weight of the cars continues to increase, the spray problem keeps increasing as well. Moreover, the wet tyres introduced last year have been really off the pace. This means that as soon as the track becomes slightly less wet, drivers push for intermediates. This also means that more drivers are taking risks by going for intermediates in conditions more suited to full wets. Ground effect hasn’t made things easier by making the entire underfloor a vacuum.
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What are the new changes?
Pirelli introduced new full wet tyres in Monaco this year. These tyres don’t need tyre blankets. Pirelli claims these tyres are better. However, in the sprint race at Spa, all 20 drivers pitted within one lap of the safety car coming in. The only reason 10 of them waited for a lap was for pit lane considerations.
The performance must have been there though, since the FIA agreed for a mid-season tyre change. F1 and FIA are also trying to test “sprayguards” on the back of F1 cars to reduce the spray. This idea was first floated around Suzuka last year when the race was curtailed due to heavy rain.
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Super-intermediate tyres
Mario Isola thinks that Pirelli can make a super-intermediate tyre that will work across all conditions. Its recent tyre tests have been positive. However, the problem is that most of their running occurs on artificially soaked tracks.
Being able to test only at Fiorano and Paul Ricard is a big limitation according to Mario Isola. Their characteristics are very different from tracks like Spa, Silverstone, Suzuka, etc. which generally experience wet races. However, he is positive that Pirelli can make a tyre for all conditions.
He hopes that they can make it by 2024. If green-flagged, they will be allowed to be introduced mid-season. Although the regulations don’t allow this, they can be changed with an agreement between parties. This is what happened in Monaco this year. Another interesting factor in Pirelli’s quest to prove its tyres is Bridgestone. The Japanese tyre manufacturer has officially put a tender to become the new sole supplier in F1. Let’s see how this story develops.
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