F1 2024 speed gains now “beyond expectation”, says Pirelli

Pirelli says velocity features being made by Formulation 1 groups at the moment are “past expectation,” because it turns into aware concerning the influence on tyre hundreds.

Throughout a season when the grid has began to make some strong features with their 2024 vehicles, latest grands prix have highlighted that the progress being made by squads is way better than anticipated.

This has been highlighted once more in Abu Dhabi with Lando Norris’s quickest time from follow of 1m23.517s already simply shy of Max Verstappen’s pole place effort from final 12 months of 1m23.455s.

However the step up from 12 months is evident, with Charles Leclerc’s quickest FP2 time from 2023 being 1m24.809s. The velocity enhance in FP1 year-to-year was 1.7 seconds

Pirelli’s F1 chief engineer Simone Berra admitted that the present vehicles had been now “very quick” – which meant hundreds had been better on tyres than predicted.

“The final races, we have now seen even a good increased enhance than anticipated, and we have now seen very excessive hundreds, particularly from two or three groups,” he defined.

“From the simulations, we usually have one for the top of the season and one for the center of the season for the 12 months, and no person thought to have these sort of hundreds. [They are] principally past expectation, I might say.

“So it is fascinating how a lot they’re evolving with the vehicles, truthfully, as a result of we thought that sooner or later, they [the teams] would attain kind of most degree of efficiency.

“However there are nonetheless some increased hundreds to realize and a few efficiency to realize. And we’re seeing within the final races, for instance, that Mercedes has improved loads. It’s totally fascinating.”

The beneath desk reveals how the pole place occasions from final 12 months examine to this 12 months which reveals how a lot the lap occasions have developed.

* moist qualifying Whereas the features have ramped up this 12 months, Berra is not sure about how a lot that may circulation into subsequent season.

“We obtained the workforce simulations on the finish of November, so we at the moment are taking a look at these intimately,” he mentioned.

“For the second, we nonetheless do not have a transparent image. Clearly, we count on some enchancment, however we have to perceive from the info if the rise in efficiency shall be, for instance, a lot decrease and if we shall be in a extra secure state of affairs.”

Sparks fly from Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23

Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs

Excessive stress response

Pirelli has at all times been aware about a rise in hundreds opening up the chance of tyres being pushed past the boundaries and hitting issues.

Previously it has generally responded with making structural adjustments to the development to assist enhance sturdiness – as occurred on the 2023 British Grand Prix – however that is one thing that will be unlikely for subsequent 12 months as a result of there’s a concentrate on sorting the 2026 rubber.

Berra mentioned that Pirelli doesn’t wish to do this once more subsequent 12 months

“Mainly, we do not wish to change development all through the season as a result of we expect it is probably not truthful,” he mentioned. “We offer one specification and that ought to be the identical for the remainder of the season.

“For Silverstone final 12 months, the explanation was that the advance when it comes to fatigue was fairly vital, and we proposed this to have a greater integrity for the tyres.

“However we do not count on to have one thing related subsequent 12 months as a result of the brand new construction has improved each fatigue and standing wave resistance.”

A method that Pirelli might reply to any issues brought on by elevated hundreds may very well be to extend tyre pressures on the season goes on – one thing which it might do on a case-by-case foundation.

“We’d react with the stress, however I might slightly favor to not enhance an excessive amount of the stress – and I believe the groups suppose like that too,” added Berra.

“It’s as a result of then you definitely begin producing overeating, and begin generate graining. So we wish to hold the stress as, for instance, low as attainable.”

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