How well did Pirelli do their job in 2011?

[ringo]

MaybE worse in degradation but that's a design goal. Equal in ultimate perfromance. I haven't noticed more flats. I haven't noticed any problem other than greater wear. And the pace inconsistencies between compounds you mentioned were not in ultimate pace but over a stint. The softer tire has set pole at every dry quali.

I didn't say imbetween compounds. I said for the same compound it has varying quality.
Malaysia was a perfect example with Hamilton's dud Hard tyre. Other instances where drivers are perplexed about the pace in the tyre as well, even when using the same compound.
Inconsistency wasn't a design goal, and neither was being so much slower than bridgestone, and so much marbles and blistering.
Chalk and cheese comes to mind.

[ringo]

Another unexplainable puncture. It's not the redbull's fault it seems.
There's no secret tyre warmers.
From Massa:

“It was a difficult race, at the end of a weekend that was not the best from a technical point of view. We never managed to find the right balance and then came the sting in the tail of the puncture we discovered yesterday, which robbed me of a set of Softs for the race and thus meant I had to make only two stops.

So it happens to ferrari too, right after qualy and into the race.

So the rb7 speed is elsewhere, not in the tyre warming theory.

Pirelli just hit and miss with quality.

[Steven]

This thread was split off of the RB7 thread, but if nothing factual can be presented to discuss this further, this thread will be locked.

[MIKEY_!]

That's probably best. We don't need another shouting match developing.

[godlameroso]

Last year the cars had more downforce, yet these crappy Pirellis still allowed pole times from last year to be bettered in certain circuits. Probably due to KERS and DRS, although you have to remember the cars are also heavier than last year.

[ringo]

Oh i still posted in the rb7 thread.

Lets look at this on a race by race basis. I don't have bbc on hand so someone will have to look on all the tyre issues that came up in all the races.
Be it marbles,blisters, puncutres, or plain lack of grip.

[Jersey Tom]

Hard to judge fairly, not sure if I'd give a B or C grade. Had an awful lot to do in a very short amount of time.

[piast9]

Well, Pierellis for sure wouldn't win the tyre war with Bridgestone... But it is not the most important. Everyone uses the same tyres so everyone has the same advantages or problems.

For me, the basic thing they have to improve is the difference in durability between compounds. The harder tyre should be bit slower but lasting longer. So far we haven't seen that. In last race Button had to stop third time for his second set of hard tyres after similar number of laps that guys who run second stint on softer compound.

[wesley123]

It seems more logical to me that bother Ferrari and Red Bull(and others) are pushing he tires too far. Pirelli had set an limit camber to which it was tested etc. Yet in Spa it was known a few teams ran their tires above the set limits, then you are just asking for punctures to happen.

[hardingfv32]

What exactly do punctures have to do with camber settings? Some scientific logic to back up your statement?

This is motor racing! It is all about managing risks, both mechanical and driver. The closer to the limit you get the faster you go. Pirelli is not motivated by competition but the teams are. Camber is just another factor you can push to the edge if it is of value to you. Only restrictions can stop it.

Brian

[DaveW]

Well, Pierellis for sure wouldn't win the tyre war with Bridgestone... But it is not the most important. Everyone uses the same tyres so everyone has the same advantages or problems.

I believe that it is a common complaint that lack of consistency means that everyone doesn't have the same tyres, though they do share similar problems (changed tyres & the balance went away...). I think it is debatable whether that is good for the sport.

[shelly]

Last year the cars had more downforce, yet these crappy Pirellis still allowed pole times from last year to be bettered in certain circuits. Probably due to KERS and DRS, although you have to remember the cars are also heavier than last year.

I do not believe 2011 cars had less downforce than 2010 cars; they are at least evenly matched, with an edge for 2011 cars I think

[timbo]

plain lack of grip.

Heh? So if a team screw up setup we should blame pirellis?

[DRCorsa]

Pirelli constructed a set of tyres according to FIA's requirements.
Pirelli would have been able to construct a super grippy tyre lasting more laps. But that wasn't what they had been asked to provide.

[Jersey Tom]

Pirelli constructed a set of tyres according to FIA's requirements.
Pirelli would have been able to construct a super grippy tyre lasting more laps. But that wasn't what they had been asked to provide.

I'm calling BS on this. Extreme, piled, steaming BS.