Pirelli must step down for 2021

For many months, Pirelli has claimed not to be interested in the call for tenders launched by the FIA ​​for the supply of all four-wheel drive cars in the WRC (Rally1 and 2) for a period of 4 years from 2021. Finally, the Italians were among the candidates when the projects were submitted. A brand with such a track record in rally (181 victories, 25 world titles) could she legitimately abstain?

The Milanese firm has probably made more than an act of presence and its monopoly position in F1 until 2023 should not slow down its ambitions. Her proposals were indeed convincing enough for her to reach the final and win this call for tenders.

In December 2019, an electronic vote of the World Council confirmed the appointment of Pirelli as sole supplier in WRC. This is nothing new for the transalpine manufacturer. His last experience dates back to 2010 with Sébastien's coronations Loeb, Daniel Elena and Citroën.

The men under the direction of Mario Isola, director of sports programs at Pirelli, then had 12 months to prepare. But the health crisis linked to the coronavirus has complicated their plans...

“Do I regret that we were chosen? smiles Mario Isola. No way ! However, it is certain that the situation could have been simpler. The challenge looks set to be tougher than expected, but that doesn't scare us. It is true that the automobile market is strongly impacted by this pandemic. This has repercussions for Pirelli, but for the moment it does not interfere with the WRC program.

However, we can take the opportunity to think about solutions to reduce costs. For competition, our manufacturing is mainly carried out in Turkey and Romania and we have been able to maintain it for periods.

Work on tires launched in 2021 has been affected and we are considering different scenarios in close collaboration with the FIA ​​to plan the realization of these products. I have no concerns about the ones for WRC2 and 3, as we already have them. The situation is less clear for Rally1. »

The difficulty inherent in creating envelopes for the rally lies in the multiplicity of surfaces. If, for asphalt, it is not that complicated to find a road to carry out tests on, the different types of soil require much more basics.

As for snow and ice, the cycle of the seasons determines the possibility of testing the rubber there. When a global (and deadly!) virus is added to these already restrictive parameters, the development of several tires is almost impossible.

“We couldn't start driving, confirms Isola. Until the crisis caused complete paralysis, we had mainly worked on drawing. In recent days, things seem to be returning to normal, but I cannot indicate when we will be able to carry out tests. "

At Pirelli, although it is not possible to say that “tutto a posto” (everything is fine, in French), the concern is not yet palpable. The technicians know how to draw on their extensive rally experience.

Performance will wait

With the forced break dictated by Covid-19, it was possible to imagine that Pirelli would have difficulty catching up with the accumulated delay. This does not seem to be the case. “To make the 2021 tires, we have a very good product for Rally2, says the Italian boss. However, we know that the constraints imposed by Rally1 are much greater.

So we need to analyze what changes we need to make to what is already in use so that it supports them. For this, we can rely on our last experience as a sole manufacturer between 2008 and 2010. Our tires demonstrated a good level of resistance to punctures.

By leveraging this technology on what we already have on the market and taking into account the progress cars have made in 10 years, we should be able to produce products for 2021."

The recipe doesn't seem that complicated, but it does have a few lumps. By prioritizing solidity, won’t performance decline? Isola does not say the opposite when he considers the organization of the first tests.

“If, initially, we wanted to carry out tests with all the teams entered in Rally1 while respecting sporting fairness, the pandemic should push us to choose another solution.

We should use only one car with a driver who is not currently racing so as not to benefit anyone. We hope to be able to do it in July. Given the very short deadlines and taking into account the fact that all teams will have the same tires, performance will not be a priority. We will focus on reliability during long stages and resistance to punctures in difficult conditions. »

Rally1 drivers must therefore expect to ride with tires that are certainly less fast, but solid. While this may upset them, this is not the case for Andrea Adamo. “There is no point in seeking controversy over the fact that Pirelli has not yet carried out any tests, thunders the boss of Hyundai Motorsport.

There is no problem. We are talking about Pirelli, a manufacturer who knows his job and who was already competing before I was born! There are other, more serious matters to deal with. Even if they are less efficient, we will have tires to race and that is the most important thing! ».

Despite everything, there is an emergency at hand because the approval of the 2021 tires must take place at the latest two months before the first event, namely Monte-Carlo in mid-January. Pirelli therefore only has 6 months left to be ready for battle.