Amid the backdrop of teams having started to unlock dramatic gains in downforce with the 2023 cars, Pirelli feels it makes sense to intervene and introduce stronger tyres in time for the Silverstone race in July.
The move is not being made because of safety concerns, but more as a bid to guarantee no problems further down the line. The compounds of the new tyres will be identical to what is currently being used.
Pirelli has been mindful for a few weeks about the gains teams have been making with their cars, with sources suggesting that downforce levels being produced are on a par with what was anticipated for the end of the current season.
Furthermore, the dramatic improvement in lap time at last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix has highlighted that, as teams prepare to bring even more upgrades over the next few races, cars are only going to get quicker.
Following discussions with the FIA, Pirelli has decided that as F1 prepares for some of its most challenging tracks over the summer – such as Silverstone, Spa and Zandvoort – it is logical to take action to avoid the risk of any tyre troubles.
Earlier this week, Pirelli proposed to the FIA to be allowed to introduce a new construction of tyre from the British Grand Prix on 9 July.
Under F1’s Technical Regulations, any in-season change of construction needs to go through a formal process – to either be approved by the teams or forced through on safety grounds.
Article 10.8.3 states that once the specification of tyres is set for the season it “will not be changed without the agreement of the Formula One Commission. Notwithstanding the above, the FIA may decide to change the specification during the Championship season for safety reasons without notice or delay.”
Pirelli revealed on Friday that such approval had now been given, with plans for teams to test the new construction at the Spanish GP next month.
Talking about the motivation for the change, Pirelli's head of car racing and F1 Mario Isola said: “We’ve seen how much more performance the 2023 cars have compared to last year throughout the opening races of this season, and that is thanks to the extraordinary pace of development shown by all 10 of the teams.
“In Miami, for example, the pole time was nearly two seconds faster than last year, but the same sort of progress has been seen during races as well. Pirelli’s simulation work has always been aimed at not only supplying a product that hits the performance targets specified by stakeholders, but also anticipating any potential problems and reacting to them quickly.
“The new specification contains materials that we have already developed for 2024, which will make the tyres more resistant without affecting any of the other technical parameters or their behaviour on track.
“To allow all the teams to test the new construction on a level playing field, Pirelli will supply two extra tyre sets per car to be used during FP1 and FP2 at the Spanish Grand Prix.”
