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[vlad]

Hamilton's statement:

http://www.itv.com/formula1/news/2011/3/lewis-hamilton-f1-cars-painfully-slow-on-pirellis-0775/


And Pirelli's:

http://pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=43049

[spankyham]

If the tyre performance drops off at the rate that is being suggested, I think what will be very interesting will be the possibility of teams and drivers running very different strategies.

The two main possibilities in my mind are:-
A) do Q3 on your last set of options, hope you get a clean run and do just the one hot lap. This means will start on the options and could be in changing tyres in the first few laps
B) do Q3 on a set of primes, with the possibility of a 2nd lap if you really screw up.

If you choose A) you'd probably be on a min 3 stop strategy (and obviously also a max 3 stop strategy).

If you choose B) you'd be leaving your run on the options to the last change, run on the options when there is the most rubber that will be down on the track and, I guess you'd be hoping to get a few more laps out of them. I guess there might also be a chance this would be a 2 stop strategy, but again, it would be a max 3 stop strategy).

You'd think B) might help if there was any possibility of rain.

[vlad]

Well, it depends... You can always have a Safety Car from out of nowhere. But, I think top teams will start on harder tyres, mostly...

[spankyham]

Well, it depends... You can always have a Safety Car from out of nowhere. But, I think top teams will start on harder tyres, mostly...

Yep, rain, SC could have a huge impact on race results depending on when they happen and what tyre strategy you're running.

I guess the other thing would be that, if tyre times really do drop off as dramatically as some are suggesting, well, it will really favour the drivers who can manage and save them because, as I see it, without rain, the max number of stops is 3 - and even then you will run a lot of laps of degraded tyres if you haven't managed them well.

[vlad]

This will probably make the season more interessting... However, we'll see some of our favorite drivers losing positions due to this...

[What's Burning?]

Sorry... that's what I get for juggling emails, work, yoga, and F1. There are limits to my abilities.


Forgive me... I will correct it soon enough.

[What's Burning?]

If the tyre performance drops off at the rate that is being suggested, I think what will be very interesting will be the possibility of teams and drivers running very different strategies.

The two main possibilities in my mind are:-
A) do Q3 on your last set of options, hope you get a clean run and do just the one hot lap. This means will start on the options and could be in changing tyres in the first few laps
B) do Q3 on a set of primes, with the possibility of a 2nd lap if you really screw up.

If you choose A) you'd probably be on a min 3 stop strategy (and obviously also a max 3 stop strategy).

If you choose B) you'd be leaving your run on the options to the last change, run on the options when there is the most rubber that will be down on the track and, I guess you'd be hoping to get a few more laps out of them. I guess there might also be a chance this would be a 2 stop strategy, but again, it would be a max 3 stop strategy).

You'd think B) might help if there was any possibility of rain.

Hmmm, did someone edit my post here?

I'm with you on the strategies for the top runners and it will also depend quite a bit on the given track... but what I'm really looking forward to is the strategies of the 6th through 10th placed drivers... as I think there will be a lot of surprise podiums for some of the positions with the right calls made at the right time.

I hope that's better!

[darwin dali]

:blush: Sorry... that's what I get for juggling emails, work, yoga, and F1. There are limits to my abilities.


Forgive me... I will correct it soon enough.

What? You can't chew gum and walk at the same time?

[spankyham]

I hope that's better!

[Bulletproof]

Even if some of the drivers think the tyres will be slow, to the watching tv audience it should make for a very exciting season. Probably!

[Jensonb]

This could possibly help lower the amount of field spread...Drivers who run the car ragged early on to build a gap might find themselves quickly slipping back into the clutches of the drivers who conserved the tyres. That was, theoretically, supposed to be happening anyway but of course with the options capable of doing most of the race, the cars weren't being slowed enough for it to work.

[CarBore]

Down to the canvas in 9 laps? Was Lewis sliding and doing burnouts the whole time? I know the degrade faster than Bridgestone's offerings but weren't Ferrari and Red Bull doing 15+ laps with consistant times during their race simulations.

Unless the McLaren is seriously overworking its tyres maybe Lewis needs to treat them a little better

[racechick]

My understanding of the tyre situation. The Pirelli tyres differ from the Bridgestones in how they behave. Pirelli have been keen to ensure safe tyres but dont have all the years of knowledge that Brigestone have gathered . The result is a tyre that is quite stiff. The stiff tyre doesnt lay rubber down like a softer one and so the track wont rubber in. The tyres will run cooler and cause degredation (lots of marbles and even strips of rubber). This will make going off line to overtake very very difficult. This type of degredation is different to the tyre wear on the Bridgestones, which was due to the tyres running too hot. The advantage some drivers got on the Bridgestones was by managing to keep the tyres below the temperature at which their performance would drop off. No such advantage will be available to those drivers now. Rear tyres will suffer most, so the drivers to gain advantage will be those who like oversteer.
Here endeth the simplified version of tyre science

That sounds more like a wish than science.

Well its not my wish. Id have them back on slicks. It was take from a technical article,hence my opening sentence.

[Jensonb]

My understanding of the tyre situation. The Pirelli tyres differ from the Bridgestones in how they behave. Pirelli have been keen to ensure safe tyres but dont have all the years of knowledge that Brigestone have gathered . The result is a tyre that is quite stiff. The stiff tyre doesnt lay rubber down like a softer one and so the track wont rubber in. The tyres will run cooler and cause degredation (lots of marbles and even strips of rubber). This will make going off line to overtake very very difficult. This type of degredation is different to the tyre wear on the Bridgestones, which was due to the tyres running too hot. The advantage some drivers got on the Bridgestones was by managing to keep the tyres below the temperature at which their performance would drop off. No such advantage will be available to those drivers now. Rear tyres will suffer most, so the drivers to gain advantage will be those who like oversteer.
Here endeth the simplified version of tyre science

That sounds more like a wish than science.

Well its not my wish. Id have them back on slicks. It was take from a technical article,hence my opening sentence.

...They've been on slicks since 2009...

[spankyham]

Well, at least the Pirelli's should finally resolve the question of Jenson V Lewis tyre discussion. As I see it, Jenson's fans would argue that he is better at conserving tyres. With the supposed tyre degradation (9 laps) then, even using the max 3 stops, it would mean a driver could run half a race on poor performing tyres.

If a driver really can conserve his tyres while maintain good track speed then that should play right into their hands. You'd think that's a recipe for Jenson to get on top of Lewis.

On the other hand, if Lewis still consistently beats Jenson, even with these tyres this year, it makes Jenson look pretty ordinary in comparison.