Pirelli: Pneumatic poker
Finger-pointed for its incompetence, Pirelli once again caused harm to the motorsport during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with two tire explosions. A sense of déjà vu for the Italian manufacturer getting stuck in a heated debate.
August 2, 2020, British Grand Prix
While the race is led by Hamilton comfortably in the lead, Sainz’s front left tire blows up on “Hanger Straight” on the 49th lap and then the same tire blows up on Bottas’ car one lap later with only three left to go. With no debris on track, no external events, the agony of these tires is unexplainable. However, Pirelli predicts before each Grand Prix the potential lifespan of the tire types, but did they overstate their durability? Is the driving style of the driver a factor in these events? Drivers are warned of the risk. Concern rises in the pits and Verstappen comes in for a pit stop to secure a risk-free podium.
However, at the start of the final lap, it is Hamilton’s left front tire that will explode, forcing the Englishman to finish the race on three wheels, an iconic moment with Verstappen as the hunter and Hamilton, the hero, winning the Grand Prix.
After the British Grand Prix, tire pressures were changed to ensure better durability, this is the safety margin that the manufacturer has imposed on all teams. A safety measure that changes the whole setup of a single-seater car and implies many changes for the teams. Pirelli produces tires but does not know them well enough.
June 6, 2021, Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Less than a year later, bis repetita. Stroll, who was having a very good race, encounters a problem with his rear right tire in the middle of the straight. The Canadian driver cannot control his single-seater launched at over 300km/h and violently hits the wall. With 5 laps to go, it is Verstappen, the leader, who experiences the same fate.
Faced with the potential danger regarding tire wear at the end of the race, the FIA waved the red flag to allow all teams to change their set of tires and prevent another accident. Pirelli is clearly being held accountable. While the end of races is exciting and full of twists, the risk has been heightened. On this super-fast straight line in the streets of Baku, the risks are greater. There is no runoff area, the track is bordered by walls, any mistake or incident of this kind immediately leads to an accident.
Pirelli is directly implicated in the composition of these tires, in its estimates of their lifespan. However, the manufacturer has always refused to be the main cause of these twists and turns, accusing the track, the rumble strips, and debris of weakening these tires. Understand that if the problem came from them, all drivers would have suffered the same consequences. The sole supplier of Formula 1 since 2011, Pirelli had to adapt to the demands of this sport. In 2019, a change in the tire cooking process was implemented (which now gives it that shiny film when the tire is new). Despite these changes, nothing has changed.
Is this act the beginning of a loss of confidence from the FIA towards Pirelli? Difficult to say as the Italian manufacturer has extended its exclusive contract until 2024 and the switch to 18-inch tires is confirmed.
Pilots as well as teams can have their say. Sparkling performance is expected from the tires, with a level of degradation and a lifespan that make Formula 1 the elite sport that it is. However, over two seasons, Pirelli has disrupted races by providing inaccurate information to the teams. Certainly, not all elements can be taken into account, but blaming the rumble strips seems rather trivial… Motorsport is dictated by the talent of the pilots, the expertise of the team, the unique manufacturer is part of this cycle and must measure up, it is one of the foundations of this sport.
The debate over a single supplier in Formula 1 will probably resurface after the events in Baku. Goodyear, Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli… All have supplied tires for this sport with varying degrees of success, but isn’t giving teams the opportunity to choose their supplier an additional advantage? Current trends are leading to standardization of parts, engine freeze, and cost capping. Yet teams are still free to choose their engines, so when will it be for tires?
