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[zurich_allan]

Whilst this might seem self explanatory - it's always been a big disadvantage to be outside the top ten, I have a nagging feeling that this season it could potentially be worse. The concept of being able to then choose your tyres could potentially not be the advantage it may have been before, but instead the complete opposite. Looking at quali this morning, it seems to me (and I could be wrong, but it's my theory), that it takes more effort to break the seal on the new sets of tyres than on the ones from last season.

For those that might not get what I mean - all tyres when fresh and unused have a seal on the surface, that usually is broken making the tyre usable very quickly - as Brundle and Coulthard were discussing, last season cars were haring out of the pits, today they were being VERY cautious, with mistakes being made, the major example being Massa. They were talking about temperature, but I don't think it is that - the tyre storage conditions this year are no different to last so that doesn't make sense. No, to me, it's taking longer for the tyres to bed in and get grippy due to the seal not being broken fully.

As such I think we'll see more drivers further down the grid opting to use scrubbed tyres rather than new ones for the start. If they do choose brand new ones, they'll have to work extra hard on the initial lap to the grid, and also the warm up lap if they don't want to be left standing on the green light with tyres not fully bedded in...

Any thoughts on this? It's very much an initial observation based purely on qualifying this morning so I could be wrong, however it seems to me to be a very possible scenario...

[stonemonkey]

Is there any reason those outside the top ten can't start on scrubbed tyres?

[Denthúl]

Is there any reason those outside the top ten can't start on scrubbed tyres?

There isn't, and in testing some teams found that by 'curing' a set of tyres and then leaving them to cool, they got better performance out of them and they lasted longer. So it could be quite advantageous, still.

[zurich_allan]

Is there any reason those outside the top ten can't start on scrubbed tyres?

No, there's not - I said that I thought many teams might opt to do this. What I'm saying is that the potential advantage that may have existed until this season with the drivers in 11th/12th being able to start on completely fresh tyres may have gone...

[Jamie]

For th likes Of Di Resta who is under estimated? I think it will play into the Scotts hands....

[Hexagram]

Is there any reason those outside the top ten can't start on scrubbed tyres?

There isn't, and in testing some teams found that by 'curing' a set of tyres and then leaving them to cool, they got better performance out of them and they lasted longer. So it could be quite advantageous, still.

Sounds right to me, no disadvantage to being outside top 10 in Quali provided you have a set of scrubbed tyres.

[What's Burning?]

Looking at quali this morning, it seems to me (and I could be wrong, but it's my theory), that it takes more effort to break the seal on the new sets of tyres than on the ones from last season.

the major example being Massa.

Same thing with Barrichello.

As such I think we'll see more drivers further down the grid opting to use scrubbed tyres rather than new ones for the start. If they do choose brand new ones, they'll have to work extra hard on the initial lap to the grid, and also the warm up lap if they don't want to be left standing on the green light with tyres not fully bedded in...

It's certainly possible, the big factor is whether a team feels that the seal can be effectively removed during the warm up lap, or it may vary depending on the ambient temperature and track temperature. We'll have to wait and see,

[vlad]

Barrichello caught the grass out of track...

[scotty]

I personally think starting on the hards has to be an advantage (on paper) over the course of a stint. We don't know how long these softs will last with race fuel on - top 10 drivers could easily get mired among traffic if they have to stop very early.

[smokin]

I personally think starting on the hards has to be an advantage (on paper) over the course of a stint. We don't know how long these softs will last with race fuel on - top 10 drivers could easily get mired among traffic if they have to stop very early.

Maybe, but with 'overtaking aids' I expect less instances of the Petrov-Alonso scenario rather than more.

[vlad]

I think we'll see Schumi wild on tyres on formation lap.

[darwin dali]

I think we'll see Schumi wild on tyres on formation lap.

[vlad]