Pirelli: Minimal changes for 2015

Paul Hembery, director of motorsport at Pirelli, believes that an improvement in the pace of Formula 1 in 2015 means that the manufacturer will adopt an aggressive strategy. After a 2013 season marked by incidents, the Milan-based company remained more cautious for 2014, but this should change for 2015.

« Last year, people said we were too conservative and maybe a little boring, but I think it’s mostly because we came in with new technology, and there’s still a bit of that this year. We’ve seen initial data suggesting that cars will make a new leap in terms of performance compared to last season, and what might have been a conservative choice last year could become a rather aggressive choice for 2015, » Hembery told Sky Sports Online.

« So like many, we are interested to see what happens with the thaw regarding engine regulations, what it will mean for the majority of teams – especially in race pace, it’s in this aspect that we expect to see a big step forward in terms of performance. And this could change a conservative choice to suddenly a bit more aggressive choice. »

The tires will remain mostly the same for the 2015 season, although the super-softs will be revised for improvement, which could offer more possible strategies for the teams.

« [There will be] only one real change: the super-soft tires will be slightly revised to improve their operating window with the temperature ranges. »

« The rear tire structure has a slight modification to distribute the internal temperature a bit better – all this technical stuff is probably a little boring for most people, but from a tire perspective, it’s very important. »

« This influences the way performance is maintained over a race distance and can very sensitively alter the differences we have with the tires. So [this corresponds] to small changes this year, [so it’s] an evolution rather than a revolution, » concluded Hembery.