F1’s official tyre provider was pressured to take motion together with the FIA after microscopic evaluation of tyres utilized in Qatar revealed a sidewall separation that might have led to failures.
Pirelli suspected the issue was brought on by the battering that tyres had been taking at excessive masses from the pyramid kerbs that had been put in across the revamped Losail circuit.
To keep away from the chance of any hazard to drivers within the grand prix, it was ultimately agreed that tyres may run for not more than 18 laps, which successfully turned the Qatar race in to a three-stopper.
Pirelli now plans to transports its tyres for extra forensic detailed evaluation in Milan to see what additional understanding could be discovered.
Nonetheless, Pirelli head of automotive racing and F1 Mario Isola thinks that the most important takeaway from the occasion of Qatar is nothing to do with the technical features of its merchandise.
As a substitute, he means that there ought to have been higher traces of communication between F1, the FIA and Pirelli over the Qatar revamp which ended up with the controversial kerbs being there within the first place.
Requested by Autosport what may and will have been to stop the issues, Isola mentioned: “We have to enhance the communication, to have a system the place, when there are adjustments to the circuit, there may be an involvement of various stakeholders with a view to perceive if there may be an influence on any of them.
“I am not simply speaking about Pirelli and F1, as a result of if you design a circuit, clearly, you propose to run totally different classes like F1, and MotoGP, for instance.
“So why not contain additionally the motorbike federation, or Michelin, or possibly a few tyre producers, and the individuals which are designing the monitor? We have to enhance the communication with a view to anticipate the problems.”
Autosport understands that one of many key elements that must be higher understood by all events is why, after Pirelli submitted a report back to the FIA highlighting kerb issues on the 2021 grand prix being a set off for punctures, its recommendation was not heeded.
And in reality, the adjustments made to the Qatar monitor for this yr really resulted in the issue kerbs for 2021, that are 50mm excessive, being introduced even nearer to the monitor moderately than being the second row as earlier than – so placing them much more within the firing line for automobiles.
Pushed on if the issue kerbs had been highlighted in any latest dialogue, Pirelli mentioned: “Sure, we had exchanges with the FIA.
Jacques Villeneuve on the grid with Mario Isola, Racing Supervisor, Pirelli Motorsport
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“Clearly we had a problem two years in the past that was fairly related. And after that, we offered the studies. However we realized fairly late about these kerbs right here, and clearly it was too late to take motion.”
Pirelli says the tyre issues that emerged in Qatar was unprecedented in single seaters, with Isola suggesting that his workers had solely ever seen it as soon as earlier than in rallying.
Isola mentioned: “A colleague instructed me that 25 years in the past we had the same drawback on gravel tyres in a rally.
“We can’t evaluate gravel tyres from 25 years in the past to F1 now, however we had the same drawback as a result of hitting stones with the sidewall and creating this sort of small separation.”
The chance to analyse the tyres in Milan will assist Pirelli higher perceive if there have been any issues with the units used within the Qatar Grand Prix itself.
“We desire to ship them again to Italy and to make a correct evaluation,” added Isola. “What we will do now right here [at the track] is one thing not very correct, as a result of we do not have the time, and we’ve got to dismount the becoming space and all the things.
“That is why it is higher to take the suitable time to run the evaluation.”