Nonetheless, the consensus within the paddock is that blankets will finally be stored for slicks subsequent season, with solely wets and probably intermediates working with out them.
The matter shall be mentioned on the F1 Fee in Spa on Friday after Pirelli submitted a report on its testing programme to the FIA.
The 2024 laws presently state that blankets shall be used subsequent 12 months, and the FIA has to determine whether or not Pirelli has executed sufficient to exhibit that its tyres can run with out them earlier than placing the choice to a vote of the staff bosses.
The groups already agreed earlier this 12 months to introduce moist tyres with out blankets, with the brand new tyres first used on monitor within the Monaco race.
Nonetheless, they rejected a later try to additionally make the swap for intermediates inside the course of this season, regardless of it being accepted that the tyres have been prepared to be used.
It is believed that blanket-free inters are prone to be accepted for 2024.
In the meantime, the slick testing programme has been ongoing, with the final take a look at forward of the choice happening at Silverstone two weeks in the past, with Crimson Bull, Williams and Haas participating.
Whereas the brand new tyres rise up to temperature inside just a few corners of leaving the pits, staff insiders have instructed that they should exhibit that on a wider vary of tracks after working at Bahrain, Barcelona and Silverstone – venues the place it is simpler to get warmth into the tyres.
Inevitably, ought to the FIA put the query to a vote, some groups is not going to be eager to vary a key aspect which may adversely have an effect on their type subsequent 12 months.
Nonetheless, Pirelli stays assured that it has made its case to run with out blankets.
“Normally we’re joyful and we’ve outlined a doc for analysis of the F1 Fee by the staff principals,” mentioned chief engineer Simone Berra. “So we’re the place we wished to be at this level of the season.
Pirelli tyres exterior of the McLaren motorhome
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“Then clearly we’ve different assessments, we’ve Spa, then we’ve Monza, then we’ve the in-competition assessments. The event section, it isn’t but completed.
“So we nonetheless have some one thing to check, some new compounds. Building is nearly finalised. We’re actually on the lookout for the compounds.”
The query stays how the tyre would possibly impression racing when it comes to technique, whereas there are additionally query marks about how no-blanket slicks will behave straight out of the pitlane in cool and damp circumstances when the monitor is transitioning.
One intriguing facet of the upcoming resolution is that even when blanket-free slicks should not accepted for 2024, Pirelli stays dedicated to testing them with Aston Martin and McLaren at Spa subsequent week, as it is going to be too late to vary the programme.Â
The Spa testing will thus in impact be for attainable introduction in 2025. Nonetheless, it is nonetheless not identified whether or not Pirelli or Bridgestone will win the F1 tyre tender that begins that season.
A call is ready to be made in the summertime break, and if the Japanese producer will get the nod then there shall be no level in Pirelli persevering with its blanket-free programme at September’s Monza take a look at, and it’s prone to focus as an alternative on normal tyre growth for 2024.
Intriguingly, that would hand a slight benefit to the groups participating – Crimson Bull and Alpine – as they are going to be engaged on the definitive 2024 race tyres, whereas different groups who performed Pirelli testing this 12 months may have solely examined with the deserted blanket-free variations.
All groups will nonetheless have the ability to run the ultimate 2024 tyres within the post-Abu Dhabi take a look at.