Tyre preview – Pirelli to debut their new specification of slick tyres
For this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Formula One’s tyre manufacturer will bring three compounds from the more robust end of its 2023 tyre range, but all eyes will be set on the introduction of the new specification of slick tyres.
After using the softer compounds at the Canadian and the Austrian Grands Prix, teams will have harder compounds at Silverstone: the C1 will serve as the P Zero White hard, C2 as the P Zero Yellow medium and C3 as the P Zero Red soft in Great Britain.
Pirelli’s choice was dictated by the high energy loads that Silverstone puts through the tyres with some of the highest average cornering speeds of the year being experienced at Silverstone and drivers subjected to lateral forces that can exceed 5g.
The track that has hosted 57 grands prix, is one of the most demanding of the whole season, especially for the front-left tyre that has to cope with heavy loadings throughout eight different corners.
Pirelli has mandated extremely high starting pressures with 26.5 psi for the fronts and 23.0 psi for the rears while the camber limits are -2.75° for the front and -1.50° for the rears.
As for the strategy, a two-stopper was generally the most popular strategy last year with the same approach expected for this weekend. In 2022, all three compounds were seen during the race: including on the starting grid.
However, the main focus will be on the new specification of slick tyres that Pirelli introduces this weekend. The reason for the change is that the opening races of the 2023 F1 season left the Milan-based tyre supplier surprised due to the increase in performance of the current cars after just one full season of development. Furthermore, Pirelli is also anticipating greater speed and downforce later on as development continues across the season.
The new specification will sport a sterner, tougher tyre construction with the compound types staying the same. The new specification will see the introduction of materials that have been originally planned for 2024.
Teams and drivers were able to have a first taste at the Spanish Grand Prix with each driver having received two extra sets of new-specification tyres during the Friday’s practice sessions.
Speaking of the challenges posed by the new tyres, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola commented: “The British Grand Prix will mark the debut of a new slick tyre construction, using materials that have been brought forward from their anticipated introduction next year.
This change in specification was made necessary due to the increased performance of the cars seen since the start of the season – both in terms of outright speed and loadings – compared to the pre-season simulation data supplied to Pirelli by the teams last winter, and the fact that this trend is only set to increase as the championship goes on.
“We’ve worked very hard on simulation over the last few years in order to not only supply a product that meets the performance targets set by all the stakeholders but also to have the ability to anticipate any eventual issues and react to them promptly.
The new specification gives the tyre extra resistance against fatigue but does not affect any technical parameters or its behaviour on track. All the teams already had the opportunity to try the new tyre construction out at the Spanish Grand Prix, when two sets were put at the disposal of each driver in free practice.
“Their comments were in line with our expectations, especially when it came to transparency in terms of performance. The new specification also allows us to keep front and rear tyre pressures largely unchanged compared to last year, despite a significant increase in average loads.
This debut will come on a track that is traditionally one of the hardest on tyres; on our internal charts Silverstone is right at the top in terms of stress and lateral forces exerted on them: particularly the front-left. The track also takes a lot out of the drivers, who have to cope with lateral accelerations in excess of 5g throughout its rapid corners.
“The compound choices – which, unlike the structure, are not undergoing any change in specification – are identical to previous years at least in name: C1 is the hard, C2 is the medium, and C3 is the soft. However, the current C1 is in fact a brand new compound for this year, which fits in between the C2 and the C0: our new name for the hardest compound in the 2022 range,” Isola concluded.
