How Pirelli discovered Formula 1’s biggest tire drama since the 2005 US Grand Prix

On that occasion, after failures in practice, the Michelin runners withdrew after the formation lap, leaving the six Bridgestone cars – two Ferraris, two Jordans and two Minardis – to race alone.

This time, the problem discovered by Pirelli late on Saturday evening affected the entire field, and the FIA ​​was quick to respond with a contingency plan ahead of today’s shoot-out and the sprint race itself.

There were no obvious problems, and nothing was reported by the teams after the first FP1 and main qualifying.

The problem became clear after Pirelli carried out its routine analysis on Friday night of used tyres, in this case those that teams had returned after the first practice session and were no longer needed.

The usual process involves cutting up sample frames to get a more detailed look. Normally, nothing untoward is detected, but on this occasion, late in the evening, Pirelli found problems with multiple tires that lasted 20 or more laps.

The FIA ​​was immediately alerted, the affected tires were presented to Single Seater Racing Director Nicolas Tombazis and a plan was drawn up on how to respond.

Today’s statement issued by the administrative body indicated that “a separation was discovered in the sidewall between the top layer compound and the body wires in several of the tires that were examined.

He continued: “It is the view of the FIA ​​and Pirelli that a large number of additional laps on these tires can lead to circumferential damage to the tires with subsequent loss of air, and tires analyzed using lower lap numbers showed a much lower extent of the problem.”

As a measure of the severity of the problem, GPDA President Alex Wurz held a special meeting for drivers to discuss the safety implications.

It wasn’t entirely surprising – there were tire issues at Losail in 2021, and the revised curbs, especially at Turns 12-13, attracted a lot of feedback from teams and drivers even before the cars started on Friday.

As the FIA ​​statement confirmed, “This problem is likely caused by high-frequency interference between the tire sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ barriers widely used on this circuit, exacerbated by the tendency to ride on those barriers.”

The damage is found mostly on the front tires, but also on the rear tires, mainly on the left, but also on the right. Interestingly, it was also seen on the interior and exterior side walls.

In essence, the outer sidewalls are impacted when cars hit the steep outer edge of the curbs for a significant distance, and then the inner sidewalls are impacted when cars fall over the 50mm curb and travel along the slope beyond the hard edge.

In fact, it is sustained hard hits on the sidewall, over a number of laps, that cause the problem.

It is also a result of the high loads in this sequence creating a ‘bulge’ in the sidewalls making the tires more susceptible to damage.

The FIA’s response is to adjust the track limits at Turns 12-13, where most of the damage is believed to have occurred, so cars are not run out as much as they have been so far.

This change is the reason why an extra 10-minute familiarization practice session has been added to the schedule before the penalty shootout, to allow drivers to adapt to the change.

In addition, the provisional plan – which will be confirmed after today’s sprint race – is that each driver must pit at least three times in Sunday’s main race, with new tires not allowed to run for more than 20 laps, and tires used in qualifying for 22. roll.

Today’s race is 19 laps, and obviously the hope is that the short distance will allow the drivers to compete the full distance without problems.

It is also an ideal test for Pirelli as it will then be able to inspect all the kits used in the race and then decide with the FIA ​​what the impact will be on the main race on Sunday.