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TYRES ON THE
TRACK
* The teams will have the C1 as the P Zero White hard, C2 as the P Zero
Yellow medium and C3 as the P Zero Red soft in Great Britain: a choice
dictated by the high energy loads that Silverstone puts through the tyres.
* The track is one of the most demanding of the whole season, especially for
the front-left tyre that has to cope with heavy loadings throughout eight
different corners.
* Some of the highest average cornering speeds of the year are seen at
Silverstone (Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel are all taken flat-out) while the
drivers are subjected to lateral forces that can exceed 5g.
* A two-stopper was generally the most popular strategy in 2022. All three
compounds were seen during the race: including on the starting grid.
* Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz claimed his debut win last year at
Silverstone, having started from pole position.
* Pirelli will remain at Silverstone from July 11-12 for a slick tyre
development test without tyre blankets. Taking part in the test is Red Bull
(for one day), Haas, and Williams.
* After Monza, Silverstone is one of the most historic permanent tracks on
the F1 calendar, having hosted 57 grands prix. In 2020, the British Grand
Prix was followed one weekend later by another grand prix to celebrate the
70th anniversary of the very first F1 race in history – which took place at
Silverstone on May 13, 1950.
* The most successful team at Silverstone is Ferrari, with 15 wins, while
Sir Lewis Hamilton is the most decorated driver at Silverstone with eight
wins. Having been honoured by Queen Elizabeth II, Hamilton was later
knighted by the current King of Great Britain, Charles III. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
“The British Grand Prix will mark the debut of a new slick tyre
construction, using materials that have been brought forward from their
anticipated introduction next year. This change in specification was made
necessary due to the increased performance of the cars seen since the start
of the season – both in terms of outright speed and loadings – compared to
the pre-season simulation data supplied to Pirelli by the teams last winter,
and the fact that this trend is only set to increase as the championship
goes on. We’ve worked very hard on simulation over the last few years in
order to not only supply a product that meets the performance targets set by
all the stakeholders but also to have the ability to anticipate any eventual
issues and react to them promptly.
The new specification gives the tyre extra resistance against fatigue but
does not affect any technical parameters or its behaviour on track. All the
teams already had the opportunity to try the new tyre construction out at
the Spanish Grand Prix, when two sets were put at the disposal of each
driver in free practice. Their comments were in line with our expectations,
especially when it came to transparency in terms of performance. The new
specification also allows us to keep front and rear tyre pressures largely
unchanged compared to last year, despite a significant increase in average
loads.
This debut will come on a track that is traditionally one of the hardest on
tyres; on our internal charts Silverstone is right at the top in terms of
stress and lateral forces exerted on them: particularly the front-left. The
track also takes a lot out of the drivers, who have to cope with lateral
accelerations in excess of 5g throughout its rapid corners. The compound
choices – which, unlike the structure, are not undergoing any change in
specification – are identical to previous years at least in name: C1 is the
hard, C2 is the medium, and C3 is the soft. However, the current C1 is in
fact a brand new compound for this year, which fits in between the C2 and
the C0: our new name for the hardest compound in the 2022 range."
Formula 2
Pirelli will bring its P Zero White hard and P Zero Red soft compounds to
Silverstone. Along with Spa in Belgium, Silverstone is the most energy
demanding circuit of the year. Teams are likely to use different compounds
at the start of the Feature race, diversifying their strategies. The Soft,
although theoretically the slower strategy, could give a significant
advantage at the start and help to maintain track position. The hard tyre,
which is the only viable tyre for the Sprint race, is expected to be very
consistent with some management required. A key factor could be the British
weather, which is notoriously variable at this time of year.
Formula 3
P Zero White hard is the chosen compound for the race weekend in England.
Ultra-rapid and high-energy corners such as the Maggotts and Becketts
complex aren’t the only challenge that Silverstone has to offer. The British
circuit is one of the most demanding on the calendar and requires the
hardest compound. Drivers will have to focus on the thermal management of
the tyres. Limitations will be heavily influenced by driving style and car
set-up, and could lead to different drivers having strengths in different
types of corners. |
