The new tyres are being introduced in response to the “extraordinary pace of development shown by all 10 of the teams”, according to Pirelli’s F1 chief Mario Isola; teams will have the chance to test the tyres at Spanish GP practice in June, before they are introduced at Silverstone
Last Updated: 12/05/23 3:36pm
Pirelli are the sole supplier of tyres for Formula 1
Formula 1’s tyre supplier Pirelli will introduce a new tougher specification of tyre at the British Grand Prix to cope with “extraordinary” advances in car performance.
The current specification, which will continue to be used at the five races before F1 returns to Silverstone from July 7-9, were created using a projection of expected performance levels provided by teams before the season.
However, far higher than expected downforce levels have prompted a change, with a pole position time that was two seconds faster than last year at the Miami Grand Prix having highlighted the issue.
Pirelli confirmed on Friday that the new tyres will be tested in first and second practice at the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday 2 June.
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.
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Highlights of the Miami Grand Prix at the fifth race of the season.
“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.”
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Sky F1’s Karun Chandhok says it’s time for a change in tyre regulations to help make the racing more competitive.
The move has been approved by the FIA, who are allowed to make in-season changes to tyre specifications “for safety reasons without notice or delay”.
However, there are no concerns over the safety of the current tyres for upcoming races in Imola, Monaco, Spain, Canada and Austria, but it is a move designed to prevent any issues later in the campaign.
Max Verstappen, who is seeking a third successive drivers’ title, leads the world championship by 14 points from team-mate Sergio Perez, with Red Bull having won all five races so far this season, amassing a 122-point lead in the constructors’ standings.
Formula 1 returns to Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix from May 19-21. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 including the race from 2pm on Sunday May 21.