Pirelli reinforces its tires to meet the demands of Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel
Pirelli is bringing a more resilient tire for the British Grand Prix. Pirelli states that these new tires will be able to withstand the demands of the British track.
Silverstone is one of the most challenging circuits for the tires used in Formula 1. The 2013 British Grand Prix is a testament to that. During this Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne, and Sergio Perez experienced a blowout of their Pirelli tires without any clear visual warning. The tire structures simply weren’t strong enough.
It is an iconic Formula 1 circuit and a puzzle for tyre manufacturers. The track includes 18 corners. The sequence of corners Maggots, Becketts, and Chapel (corners number 10 to 14) is even more demanding on the tires as they are high-speed corners (drivers experience an average of 4G on this sequence).
Pirelli has chosen to implement a reinforced tyre for this Grand Prix. The new specification provides the tyre with additional resistance without affecting any technical parameters or its on-track behavior. All teams have already had the opportunity to try the new tyre construction during the Spanish Grand Prix. The new specification also allows us to maintain the front and rear tyre pressures unchanged compared to last year, despite a significant increase in average loads.
“(F) explains Mario Isola, competition director at Pirelli.”
« The beginnings of the tire will take place on a track that is traditionally one of the toughest for tires; according to our internal data, Silverstone is at the top in terms of constraints and lateral forces exerted on them, especially on the front left. The track also puts a lot of strain on the drivers, who have to deal with lateral accelerations exceeding 5g throughout its fast corners. » continues the director of the Italian manufacturer.
