Inconsistencies in Pirelli tyres

[chrisc90]

We've all heard George Russell be so vocal after Baku and again during qualifying today at Singapore. I'm thinking, how valid are his points regarding the tyres just having a mind of their own? Some work, some don't, some compounds are losing masses amounts of lap times vs the others. Cars working vs not working during different compounds.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/pirel ... /10656406/

[johnny vee]

I did not think so initially but there seems to be something to this.

[Vanja #66]

RB, McL have basically no issues with tyres. Ferrari isn't loading them too much by design, so they suffer in colder conditions fairly consistently. Russell's been taking lessons from the leading expert in blame shifting in F1, his boss, and he took a chance to show off his new skills

[Zynerji]

Maybe Merc can get another secret tyre test to sort it out?

[GrizzleBoy]

I personally have not trusted Pirelli ever since I heard Martin Brundle mention during Sebastian Vettel's reign that Seb was the only driver to personally visit the Pirelli factory. Never sat right with me.

[TwanV]

I also remember a massive pace drop off in q3 on two sets for Red Bull a couple of races ago that seemed a little fishy

[organic]

I also remember a massive pace drop off in q3 on two sets for Red Bull a couple of races ago that seemed a little fishy

Think that was mostly track temperature. Plummeted for Q3 and RB took the hit more than others

[the EDGE]

The tyres are incredibly temperature sensitive

A small change in track temp, or preparation lap, or a small slide, can make a big difference

I guess McLaren currently have the best balance to start with, so suffer less than others

[pob]

A little variation is expected. That's why the tyres are distributed randomly by the FIA to teams. Now it's hard to say whether something has happened which has made Pirelli's quality control worse, or whether this is just their extreme sensitivity to temperature. It does look like there has been increasing cases of tyres of the same compound behaving differently from set to set, and this is is not unique to Mercedes.

[Rikhart]

So I think we're up to 3 drivers complaining of this, where there's smoke there's fire, as they say...

[Quantum]

RB, McL have basically no issues with tyres. Ferrari isn't loading them too much by design, so they suffer in colder conditions fairly consistently. Russell's been taking lessons from the leading expert in blame shifting in F1, his boss, and he took a chance to show off his new skills

RB have no issue with tyres you say?

[hollus]

Can it be that that used to be 3 tenths of lap time variation set to set, and used to cost you 1 position, is now 3 tenths of variation set to set, and costs you 4 positions or a Q2 exit?

[organic]

RB, McL have basically no issues with tyres. Ferrari isn't loading them too much by design, so they suffer in colder conditions fairly consistently. Russell's been taking lessons from the leading expert in blame shifting in F1, his boss, and he took a chance to show off his new skills

RB have no issue with tyres you say?

RB main issue is aerodynamic. Their window is extremely narrow for other reasons than tyres. They have the same troubles at all tracks in all conditions. Cars that have trouble with inconsistency of tyres seem to have conditions where they suffer far less (Merc in colder/wet, Ferrari in hotter)

[DRS]

So, what are people suggesting, that the quality control from Pirelli is terrible and all tyres aren't equal, or are drivers getting tyres that are all equally bad?

[organic]

So, what are people suggesting, that the quality control from Pirelli is terrible and all tyres aren't equal, or are drivers getting tyres that are all equally bad?

As Hollus indicates it's very possible imo that quality control hasn't become worse / tyres aren't any more inconsistent. But the field spread has condensed rapidly over the past 3 years, and to an extreme degree over the last 12 months. The effect of any perceived inconsistency will then be magnified.

Perhaps in light of smaller field spread pirelli should therefore improve QC