Pirelli completes testing of 18-inch tires

The sole manufacturer of tires for Formula 1 completed its dynamic testing in preparation for the 2022 season. Monday October 18, the team Alpine and development driver Daniil Kvyat were tasked with completing 167 laps of the Circuit Paul-Ricard (Var) with the 18-inch tires, which will replace the usual 13-inch tires.

The test was carried out on wet tarmac in order to reproduce wet racing conditions. The transalpine supplier did not hide its satisfaction through the voice of Mario Isola, responsible for Competition files for Pirelli. “With this final test on a wet track, we finally close our development schedule for the new 18-inch tires. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic forced us to completely review our testing program, canceling track tests to focus equally on simulation as well as virtual development and modeling, explains the Italian.

This virtual simulation system allowed us to optimize the number of prototype tires produced and return to on-track testing for 28 days throughout 2021.”

Mario Isola then details the process of creating the 18-inch tires. In total, 392 trains were manufactured with 30 types of prototypes, for a total of 4 laps completed via 267 different circuits! “We started with the profile of the tire, before moving on to the basic construction, and finally focusing on the five compounds (intermediate, rain and different versions of hard, medium and soft slick tire) that we will homologate for the next year.

The results achieved so far have been achieved with the input of drivers currently engaged in the championship, an essential aspect for us, although using older generation cars.

Once the specification has been validated by the FIA, drivers will have the chance to try the final 18-inch tires during the test following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, although we will have to wait until next year's winter tests to see these tires in action on 2022 cars for the first time. »