Formula 1 teams look set to trial the 2013 Pirelli tyres over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend.
Teams are being given the chance to test out the tyres before the beginning of the 2013 season. Pirelli are bringing to the Grand Prix some of their new 2013 spec rubber. The tyres are going to have a stiffer construction and be more predictable, but these changes will all make car design key.
Pirelli are allocating 2 sets of 2013 spec rubber to each car, to be used during free practice at Interlagos.
The tyres themselves will be the same shape as this season, but the stiffer construction will create unpredictable behaviour when under load. This test will be very important to get to grips with the tyres and gather data.
However the opportunity brings with it a compromise. Do teams focus on their race running of look ahead to 2013?
Ross Brawn said on the testing of the tyres "The tyres appear as though they are going to be quite a lot different, they (Pirelli) are calling them more a radial than the current tyre, but we don't know enough detail about the construction yet.
"The numbers they are giving us show that there is a stiffer construction, although the compounds I gather will be quite similar...so we are expecting quite a different tyre for next year. That is why the test in Brazil on Friday is so important."
Meanwhile McLaren's Sam Michael was asked how important the test would be, and he replied "Extremely. It is very important because that is the only opportunity before February (to test them).
"They (the tyres) are different casings front and rear, so that will be the only point that you get that data.
"If we turn up in Brazil and it rains on Friday then that is it, but it is like everything in life: we are engineers so we try and dissect and analyse everything so we don't get surprises in three months' time.
"If no one gets any data then you do what you do, you adapt and react in February, but it is correct that the test is pretty important for the winter.
"If it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for, then that is what is critical when they change tyre casings."
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Pirelli are allocating 2 sets of 2013 spec rubber to each car, to be used during free practice at Interlagos.
The tyres themselves will be the same shape as this season, but the stiffer construction will create unpredictable behaviour when under load. This test will be very important to get to grips with the tyres and gather data.
However the opportunity brings with it a compromise. Do teams focus on their race running of look ahead to 2013?
Ross Brawn said on the testing of the tyres "The tyres appear as though they are going to be quite a lot different, they (Pirelli) are calling them more a radial than the current tyre, but we don't know enough detail about the construction yet.
"The numbers they are giving us show that there is a stiffer construction, although the compounds I gather will be quite similar...so we are expecting quite a different tyre for next year. That is why the test in Brazil on Friday is so important."
Meanwhile McLaren's Sam Michael was asked how important the test would be, and he replied "Extremely. It is very important because that is the only opportunity before February (to test them).
"They (the tyres) are different casings front and rear, so that will be the only point that you get that data.
"If we turn up in Brazil and it rains on Friday then that is it, but it is like everything in life: we are engineers so we try and dissect and analyse everything so we don't get surprises in three months' time.
"If no one gets any data then you do what you do, you adapt and react in February, but it is correct that the test is pretty important for the winter.
"If it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for, then that is what is critical when they change tyre casings."
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