Pirelli Racing Manager Mario Isola gives us a little run down of the tyre choices for the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring.
Tag: pirelli
-
F1 Young Driver Test – Sebastian Vettel fastest on Day 3
Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on the final day of the Young Driver Test at Silverstone.
Vettel put in 78 laps this afternoon evaluating the Pirelli tyres which will be used at next week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel set the fastest time of all three days of running at Young Driver Test with a time of 1.32.894.
Adrian Sutil’s fastest time from the morning session was fast enough to end the day second fastest, nearly four tenths adrift of Vettel’s time.
Here is the time sheet for today’s testing at the Young Driver Test:
-
Everything you need to know about the Young Driver’s Test
Formula 1’s annual Young Driver’s Test starts tomorrow on the Silverstone race track.
However, this year’s three day test session has a bit of a twist to it. As a result of the tyre troubles at Silverstone grand prix the test has been transformed into an emergency tyre test for the Italian manufacturer to regain its footing in the sport.
Teams won’t have free reign to do as the please throughout the three days though. Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, has clearly stipulated what can and cannot be done.
- The FIA will send its own observer to the test session to ensure that no current race driver complete any development work for their respective teams.
- The current race drivers may complete one full day of work on the emergency tyre testing program.
- The ‘young driver’ will be permitted to carry out development work on their team cars.
Mercedes will sit out the three day test session as the Brackley based team serves a ban imposed on them for conducting a tyre test after the Spanish grand prix. Lewis Hamilton has voiced his concern on the dangers of Mercedes not being allowed to test the new tyres before their introduction at the Hungarian grand prix.
“I don’t know if people fully appreciate how big a negative it is for us not to do the test.We are going to go to Hungary when other people have gone and tested (the new tyres with) different ride-heights, different pressures, got their car ready for a long run so they arrive ready.We don’t have any of that information so when we get there we’re going to go into it blind.We shouldn’t be in this position in sport, but that’s the way it is,” said Hamilton.
But it seems the Brit’s fears will be assuaged as Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hemberey, announced that Mercedes will recieve data on findings about the new tyres.
The Young Driver’s Test was institued with the aim of showcasing up-and-coming talents that could, potentially, be the future of Formula 1.Several current drivers will be present at the test but in amongst will be some eager drivers keen to make their mark.
Team
Wednesday 17th
Thursday 18th
Friday 19th
Red Bull
Antonio Felix da Costa
Daniel Ricciardo
Antonio Felix da Costa
Daniel Ricciardo
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari
Davide Rigon
Davide Rigon
Felipe Massa
Davide Rigon
McLaren
Kevin Magnussen
Oliver Turvey
Gary Paffett
Lotus
Nicolas Prost
Davide Valsecchi
Nicolas Prost
Mercedes
Banned
Sauber
Robin Frijns
Robin Frijns
Nico Hulkenberg
Kimiya Sato
Force India
James Calado
Paul di Resta
Adrian Sutil
Williams
Daniel Juncadella
Pastor Maldonado
Susie Wolff
Toro Rosso
Johnny Cecotto Jnr
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Jean-Eric Vergne
Daniil Kvyat
Caterham
Alexander Rossi
Will Stevens
Charles Pic
Giedo van der Garde
Marussia
Tio Ellinas
Max Chilton
Rodolfo Gonzalez
Rodolfo Gonzalez
Jules Bianchi
-
Red Bull exploring Pirelli tyre test options
Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has said that the team is exploring the option of carrying out a Pirelli tyre test.
This follows the International Tribunal’s ruling on the Mercedes tyre test where it has been made clear that running a 2013 car is perfectly legal as long as plans are communicated to and approved by the FIA.
None of the teams have agreed to run a current car but Red Bull seems open to completing a test running a 2011 car, similar to the test carried out by Ferrari for Pirelli in Barcelona earlier this year.
Horner told Sporting Life, “We will see, it is something we have to discuss with Pirelli”.
When asked about what the importance would be to Pirelli, Horner replied: “That is for them to judge, what they need and what they require from testing. Whatever happens it has to be done transparently. We don’t want people sneaking off behind closed doors – and wearing nondescript helmets.”
Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery says that Pirelli will continue to push to use current (2013) cars. He told ESPN, “We’re asking for [a 2013 car]. We’ve got a couple of teams maybe interested in running a 2011 car and doing 1000km, which is good, but I think the big thing is we’d like to get the 2013 car run.” -
Video: Pirelli’s Paul Hembery Reacts to Hamiltons Comments
Pirelli Motorsport Director, Paul Hembery reacts to Lewis Hamilton’s comments about the tyres at the German Grand Prix
-
F1 2013: German GP Review – Vettel breaks his German jinx
The 2013 German grand prix is one that will stay in the memory bank of Sebastian Vettel for quite some time. Bested in Saturday’s qualifying session by Lewis Hamilton the reigning world champion had it all to do in Sunday’s race.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished a tenth clear of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to take pole position for the German grand prix.
The biggest casualty of qualifying was teammate and British grand prix race winner, Nico Rosberg. An initial run in the second part of Saturday’s qualifying appeared to be enough for the German to advance to the top ten shoot-out. However, a late flurry of flying laps in the closing stages of the second session of quali pushed Rosberg down to eleventh and out of contention for the front row of the grid. The German commented that the team had “underestimated the pace of the track.”
Ever dependable Jenson Button managed to drag his McLaren into the top ten and continually impressive Daniel Ricciardo and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg advanced to the final part of qualifying.But Saturday once again belonged to Lewis Hamilton. The 2008 champion pipped championship leader Sebastian Vettel to pole position but a tenth of a second. Former German grand prix winner Mark Webber will start third and Kimi Raikkonen, in the Lotus, fourth. Romain Grosjean and Daniel Ricciardo will start fifth and sixth ahead of Massa, Alonso and Button.
Acing the start was the easiest part of Vettel’s afternoon as he had to fight both the Lotus’ Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen. Vettel grabbed the lead of the race straight away and controlled the pace easily ahead of teammate Mark Webber.
The soft compound Pirelli tyres dictated early pitstops for the frontrunners and pushed Lotus’ Romain Grosjean into the lead of the race. Mark Webber’s first pitstop, on lap nine, took a dramatic turn as his right-rear wheel was not attached correctly. It bounced through the pitlane before striking and FOM camera-man, Paul Allen. The cameraman was being held for observation with a concussion, broken ribs and a fractured collar bone. Red Bull have been fined 30 000 Euro for unsafe release of Webber’s car.
A pitstop from Grosjean re-instated Vettel to the race lead but the German looked unlikely to maintain the lead under serious pressure from Grosjean’s Lotus. Nevertheless, the nearly ten second gap to third placed Raikkonen would soon be wiped out.
For what seemed like a fairly innocuous retirement from Marussia’s Jules Bianchi soon took a dangerous turn as Bianchi’s driverless car started to roll down the middle of the circuit. This prompted the deployment of the safety car on lap 24 and spurred a flurry of activity in the pitlane.
By the time the safety car pulled into the pitlane Vettel had both Lotuses breathing down his neck. Romain Grosjean tried his level best to overtake the Red Bull driver but it proved a bridge to far for the Frenchman who subsequently pitted on lap 40 for a fresh set of medium tyres. Vettel followed into the pitlane a lap later and relinquished the lead of the race to Kimi Raikkonen.
The Lotus driver was leading the race by 15 seconds over Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and felt that the tyres and the car were, possibly, performing well enough to hold on to the lead. However, communication problems between the pitwall and Raikkonen ultimately led to a late pitstop for the Finn.
“I could run longer and we had to think about if we should try to run until the end,” said Raikkonen. “But I had massive problem with the radio. I could hear the team but they couldn’t hear me, apart from at two corners.
Raikkonen last pitstop switched him to the soft compound Pirelli tyres and left him roughly three seconds adrift of the Red Bull. Despite closing down Vettel in the closing stages of the race and getting to within the DRS zone, the Finn was unable to regain the lead of the grand prix. Raikkonen finished one second behind race winner Sebastian Vettel.
Ferrari’s qualifying strategy hadn’t quite gone to plan with Felipe Massa retiring and Fernando Alonso only salvaging fourth. Polesitter Lewis Hamilton’s difficult afternoon was blighted with tyre issues but the Brit fought his way back to finish fifth overall. Jenson Button returned McLaren to the points paying positions with a fine sixth place ahead of a recovering Webber in seventh. Perez, Rosberg and Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten.The dismal run of form for Williams continued this weekend as the team failed to score even a single point on the weekend they are celebrating 600 grand prix starts.
Just seven days ago Sebastian Vettel walked away from the British grand prix without a single point in the bank. But he’s no three champion by mistake and this is not the impetuous Vettel of 2009. A mature, in control, winning machine is what Vettel has transformed himself into – and that is going to take some stopping in 2013.
As impressive a collection of achievements as Sebastian Vettel has been able to put together winning his home race has always eluded him. But a finely judged drive and resisting big pressure from Raikkonen has earned the championship leader a coveted home race victory.
-
2013 German GP: Raikkonen wonders about final pitstop
Kimi Raikkonen suspects that a late pitstop during the German grand prix may not have been neccesary.The Lotus driver was leading the race by 15 seconds over Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and felt that the tyres and the car were, possibly, performing well enough to hold on to the lead. However, communication problems between the pitwall and Raikkonen ultimately led to a late pitstop for the Finn.
“I could run longer and we had to think about if we should try to run until the end,” said Raikkonen. “But I had massive problem with the radio. I could hear the team but they couldn’t hear me, apart from at two corners.
Raikkonen last pitstop switched him to the soft compound Pirelli tyres and left him roughy three seconds adrift of the Red Bull. Despite closing down Vettel in the closing stages of the race and getting to within the DRS zone, the Finn was unable to regain the lead of the grand prix. Raikkonen finished one second behind race winner Sebastian Vettel.
-
FIA bans tyre swapping at German Grand Prix
The FIA today imposed a ban on all tyre swapping for this weekend’s German Grand Prix. They have also issued strict limits on tyre pressures and cambers for the race.
This follows a request by Pirelli to the FIA, to limit how F1 teams exploit the rubber because according to Pirelli this was a major contributing factor to the blow-outs suffered at the British Grand Prix. Earlier this week, Pirelli openly blamed teams in a statement for the failures at Silverstone.
The FIA has agreed to enforce strict limits on tyre operations this weekend.
Race director Charlie Whiting, who nearly red-flagged the British Grand Prix, issued a note to teams on Friday stating that: “For safety reasons, we have been asked by Pirelli to ensure that the tyres on all cars are run under the conditions listed below.
It will be the responsibility of each team to satisfy the FIA technical delegate that the cars comply with the following requirements at all times.”The note specified that minimum starting pressures front and rear will be 16psi, the minimum stabilised running front pressure will be 20psi, and at the rear it will be 19psi. The maximum negative camber allowed at the front will be four degrees, and it will be 2.5 degrees at the rear.
Regarding tyre swapping Charlie also added, “Front and rear tyres must be used on the side of the car for which they were originally designated (no swapping from side-to-side.)”. This was another factor which Pirelli stated contributed to the Silverstone failures.
With drivers threatening to boycott the German Grand Prix should further failures be experienced this weekend, we can only hope that the changes Pirelli has made to the tyres for this weekend will ensure that a recurrence of the drama last weekend is not seen at the Nurburgring.
-
F1 drivers will boycott German GP if tyre problems persist
Formula One drivers have threatened to boycott the German Grand Prix this weekend if a repeat of the problems at Silverstone are experienced.
Four drivers suffered blown tyres during a dramatic British Grand Prix on Sunday at Silverstone, forcing Pirelli to revert to Kevlar-belted tyres for this weekend’s race at the Nurburgring. They will also be introducing a new tyre for the remainder of the season.
Although Pirelli are confident that bringing back the Kevlar-belted tyres this weekend will ensure that a repeat of the Silverstone fiasco is not suffered, drivers are not fully satisfied and the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which represents the majority of drivers, said its members wanted to express their “deepest concerns”.
In a statement following a meeting of the GPDA on Thursday evening, a statement was issued stating that should similar problems occur during the German GP weekend, they would withdraw from the event in the interest of safety.
The statement read:
“The drivers of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association wish to express their deepest concerns about the events that took place at Silverstone.
“We trust that the changes made to the tyres will have the desired results and that similar problems will not occur during the German GP weekend.
“We are ready to drive our cars to the limit, as we always do, and as it is expected by our teams, sponsors and fans.
“However, the drivers have decided that, if similar problems should manifest themselves during the German GP, we shall immediately withdraw from the event, as this avoidable problem with the tyres endangers again the lives of drivers, marshals and fans.”
Fernando Alonso spoke earlier on Thursday about the dangerous situation he found himself in behind Sergio Perez who suffered a blow out. “I committed to overtake Sergio on the left,” he said, “I was lucky because maybe if I chose the right, everything would hit my helmet. There are pieces of steel coming at 300kph so it would be like a bullet or a knife.” He added, “Pirelli made some changes. We trust them. We think they solve the problem.”Pirelli issued a statement on Tuesday blaming the failures on the teams but Jenson Button said following the GPDA meeting that “We followed all of Pirelli’s guidelines – on both cars.”
Pictures have been posted on the Internet showing that tyre swapping was taking place but no further comment has been made about this by the drivers.
-
Nurburgring German Grand Prix Preview Quotes – Pirelli
Preview quotes from Pirelli’s Paul Hembery ahead of the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring this weekend.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director
“Surprisingly, the Nurburgring is one of the circuits that we have the least experience of, having only raced there once before in Formula One, but we’re certain that we have chosen the correct compromise between performance and durability by bringing the medium and soft compounds. These were actually the same compounds that we chose for this track in 2011, but since then the tyres have got softer and faster, so we would expect a quicker race time with an average of three pit stops for most drivers. The Nurburgring is not on the whole an especially demanding circuit for tyres but there are still some distinctive aspects to look out for when it comes to tyre management, such as the kerbing on the chicanes. We are expecting a performance gap of 0.8-1.0 second between the two nominated compounds, which should make the strategy options versatile. For this race only, we will bring Kevlar-belted rear tyres, following the incidents at the British Grand Prix. Even though the 2013 high-performance steel-belted version is completely safe when used correctly, the Kevlar-belted version is easier to manage and as long as there is no system in place which allows us to enforce tyre related specifications, like tyre pressures or camber, the incorrect use of which were contributing factors of the tyre failures in Silverstone, we prefer to bring a less sophisticated tyre. From the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards there will be a completely new range of tyres, combining the characteristics of our 2012 tyres with the increased performance of the 2013 specification.”
