Pirelli and the eternal problem of rain tires

Amid criticism and controversy, Pirelli explains itself. The Italian manufacturer has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, during the Grands Prix in Singapore and Japan. Two rainy weekends, where the effectiveness and usefulness of maxi-rain tires were called into question. At Suzuka, after a two-hour interruption, it only took two laps to see the first drivers stop to put on intermediate tires... which intrigued the spectators: why not have the race restarted earlier, if were the intermediates already performing well after two loops? And above all, what about rain tires?

« There's very little you can do with rain tires." recognizes Isola

Mario Isola tried to answer these questions. The competition director at Pirelli returned to the post-Suzuka criticism at a press conference, on the sidelines of the race in Austin. Following the investigation and the FIA ​​report concerning the Japanese Grand Prix, discussions are underway with the authorities of the Formula 1 to try to provide solutions on the relevance of rain tires. According to the Italian engineer, Pirelli's actions are quite limited to modify the structure of the maxi-rain rubbers, especially regarding the projection of water. 

“There is very little you can do with rain tires, recognized Mario Isola. I believe that most of the splashes also come from the ground, from the diffuser, so it's not just the tire that sprays water into the air. Also, in 2017 we had to increase the tire width, which obviously doesn't help. » If Pirelli considers itself capable of designing a new maxi-rain tire, the Italian firm also regrets the lack of testing in wet track conditions. “We had difficulty finding space to test the wet tyres. This is why we are planning winter tests on wet tracks. We can change the ability of the tire to disperse more water, less water, but we are also trying to find solutions to reduce the level of spray in the air, but I think that is very little compared to the total water which creates visibility problems. »

Pirelli faced with several compromises

The lack of wet track testing forces Pirelli to remain cautious about the choices to be made when designing its tires. Today, very few circuits can artificially water their track instantly. Only Paul-Ricard has this capacity among the 22 circuits on the F1 calendar. “It's not easy, you have to go to a specific circuit where you wet the track artificially. It's not like we can just wait for the rain and do the testing when it rains, said Mario Isola, who explained the different compromises that Pirelli can face.

“We must define together what the objectives are for rain tires, believes the Italian director. We can make a different, extreme rain tire, but how? If you improve aquaplaning resistance, you probably spray more water. If you reduce this capacity, you evacuate less water, you reduce projection, but then you can have a car that aquaplanes. So what is the right compromise? In my opinion, looking at the current rain tire, we should improve the warm-up phase a little and also give the maxi-rain tire a little more performance. (…) We will discuss it during the meetings organized for this purpose. »

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