A decisive test for Pirelli at Imola with the C6 tire

An end of the season that plays out this weekend. While there are still eighteen races left to run (including 4 sprint races), F1 is preparing for a decisive weekend in Imola. Indeed, Pirelli, the tire manufacturer of the championship since 2011, has decided to introduce its new C6 compound, its softest, for its national Grand Prix. The goal is clear: to end the one-stop strategies that make races less unpredictable.

Since its arrival in the championship, this objective has been difficult for Pirelli to achieve. Indeed, it needs to be able to reconcile two almost paradoxical elements: providing tires whose performance drops at the end of a stint with the drivers’ demand for rubber they can push to the limit for an entire stint. The Italian manufacturer has tried several times to meet these demands, in vain. In 2018, it introduced the “hyper-soft” compound, which was used during the Monaco Grand Prix and did not provide satisfaction. The drivers, fearing to damage it too much and to avoid making two pit stops, drove several laps more slowly than their qualifying lap.

Currently, in the paddock, everyone is unanimous: no one wants races where positions remain fixed, maintaining a steady pace to avoid tire wear. This often leads to less captivating races. Especially since Pirelli introduced more durable tires this year to prevent potential blowouts. A good idea in theory, but it leads to tires that can last dozens of laps without wearing out, resulting in one-stop races and less variety in strategy. Moreover, in several Grand Prix, the performance and longevity gap between hard and medium tires was so narrow that overcut possibilities, which involve extending a pit stop by several laps, proved ineffective.

More tires for more strategies

Currently, there are five tire compounds, ranging from C1, the hardest, to C5, the softest. However, at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit, Pirelli has decided to introduce the C6, a notch softer. A choice far from trivial. A few weeks ago, F1 experienced a soporific Grand Prix in Japan where all drivers conserved their tires with far too few overtaking attempts. In response to this, Pirelli might have a solution: skipping a compound to create a larger performance gap between the tires. This would force teams to adopt diverse strategies with different tire choices during the race.

The introduction of the C6 tire is therefore crucial because its performance will be decisive in determining whether F1 is heading in the right direction to make races more unpredictable. As explained by Mario Isola, head of Pirelli Motorsport, the Italian manufacturer is looking for solutions. “We need to understand if there is another way to select the tires to encourage teams to make two stops,” said the Italian.

Skipping a tire compound: the miracle solution?

However, there is a concern surrounding this initiative. The C6 has never been used in a real situation, only during tests. « Let’s hope it will be dry, so we can collect data on the C6. And then simulate other races to see if skipping a level can work – for example, between the C3 and the C4, the performance gap is quite small, maybe we could consider C2, C4, and C5 », summarizes Isola.

This would mean that if you want to make a single stop with C2-C4, with C2 being slower, you wouldn’t have the same advantage as if you had C3, C4, and C5. In other cases, you might consider C3, C5, and C6. Or C2, C4, and C5. Imola is therefore crucial, as more data on the C6 is needed.

F1 therefore seems to be multiplying its actions regarding race strategies. In Monaco, it decided to introduce the obligation of making two pit stops in order to offer more diversity with drivers equipped with different tires, which could provide thrilling race finishes between drivers on less performant hard tires and others on soft tires. However, this solution carries a risk. If the performance gaps between the compounds become too significant, one of these compounds might only be used in qualifying.

A weekend in Imola more decisive than ever

A risk that Pirelli nonetheless seems ready to take. « We can also consider C1, C3, and C5 », says Isola. « I’m not sure about the result, but it’s doable. We never decide alone. We make a proposal to the FIA and F1. We share it with the teams, then we reach an agreement with the FIA’s approval. »

Furthermore, the problem also lies within the teams themselves. While Pirelli and the FIA conduct numerous simulations to see if they could force teams to make compromises, especially during sprint weekends, they have always ended up finding solutions and circumventing this problem.

Uncertainty reigns at the moment in the world of F1 as the paddock heads to Imola. An event that could be decisive for the future of this F1 season.