New F1 Tire Regulations

[Garak]

FIA's World Motor Sport Council released the following:

Originally Posted By: WMSC
The tyre supplier will now provide three dry-weather compounds instead of two.

Of the 13 sets of dry tyres available to each driver, the tyre supplier will choose two for the race (only one of which must be used in the race), and one set (the softest available) that may only be used in Q3.

Each driver may then choose their remaining 10 sets from the three available compounds.

Unless intermediate or wet-weather tyres have been used, a driver must use at least two different specifications of dry-weather tyres - at least one of these must be the one chosen by the tyre supplier.

I had to read it a couple times to make sense of it, but it is different. Now, we just have to see if everyone will still be doing virtually the exact same thing across the board anyhow.

 

[billt460]

So now they'll have Q3 qualifying times that have zero chance of being duplicated in the race because of the use of "Ultra Super Softs", or whatever they'll tag them with, that will last a lap or 2. And this will serve what purpose?

Sometimes I think they do this kind of silly nonsense because they're bored. Or else have to at least make an attempt at trying to earn their overweight salaries.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

So the rain tires stay the same?

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
So the rain tires stay the same?


It would appear so. At least at this time.

 

[bigt61]

It adds another element of strategy. F1 is so boring now, I actually don't care if I miss a race or two. Indycar has the most exciting open wheel racing by far. And Indycars don't sound like a Formula Ford with a broken muffler.

 

[A_Harman]

So how is this going to improve the racing? If you make it into Q3, you'll have to run the one set of qualifying tires if you want to start as close as possible to the front. In F1, starting at the front is crucial to winning. Not having to run the two standard compounds in the race does change the strategy options, but I can't recall in the past (before the both-compounds rule) where teams only ran a race on one compound if more were available. Usually they started the race on softs when the fuel load was high, then finished on super softs to finish strong. Strategy has its limits, though. The best way to win races is to have the best driver in the fastest car. That's the combination that wins 80% of the time.

 

[Whitewolf]

It would be more interesting if it was opened up to more than one tyre manufacturer again. They should also scrap the stupid pressure and temperature regulations.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: billt460
So now they'll have Q3 qualifying times that have zero chance of being duplicated in the race because of the use of "Ultra Super Softs", or whatever they'll tag them with, that will last a lap or 2. And this will serve what purpose?

They will still be permitted to use the softest compound the driver chose during the race. If it's a two lap tire, well, that's a problem. They had that before, though, and qualification engines, and qualifications transmissions, and qualifications turbos, and so forth.

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
So how is this going to improve the racing? If you make it into Q3, you'll have to run the one set of qualifying tires if you want to start as close as possible to the front.

You have to use your Q2 set to start the race, not your Q3 set. Their release said that the set used in Q3 cannot be used in the race. I would assume they're not going back to the old practice of using the Q3 tire to start the race, since that would fly in the face of that statement.

 

[billt460]

Formula 1 could over complicate a cup of coffee.

 

[Reggaemon]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Formula 1 could over complicate a cup of coffee.


PRE-RACE TIRE NOMINATIONS AND PREPARATIONS
•In consultation with the FIA, Pirelli will decide in advance which three compounds can be used at each race, and communicate this information to the teams.
•The total number of sets that can be used during practice, qualifying and racing remains the same as it is currently: 13.
•Pirelli will nominate two mandatory race sets for each car. Furthermore, one set of the softer compound will have to be kept for use in Q3 only.
•The two mandatory sets chosen by Pirelli can be of two different compounds, from the three that have been nominated for the race weekend. These sets will obviously be identical for each team.
•The remaining 10 sets can be chosen by each team, from the three compounds nominated for the race weekend.
•The teams will make their choices within a deadline set by Pirelli. They will communicate their choices to the FIA, which will in turn tell Pirelli how many tires to produce. The choices for each car will remain secret until 2 weeks before the race. If a team does not meet the deadline, the choice will be made by the FIA.
•Once the choices for each car have been made, the FIA will continue to assign the tires randomly via a barcode, as is the case currently.
•The choices made by each team can vary for each of its cars: so each driver within a team can have a different allocation.
•The tires will be distinguished by different coloured markings on the sidewalls, as is currently the case.

DURING THE RACE
•Teams will still have to give back tires according to a certain schedule, but they can decide which tires to give back at the following times: ◦One set after the first 40 minutes of FP1
◦One set at the end of FP1
◦Two sets at the end of FP2
◦Two sets at the end of FP3

•The two mandatory sets nominated by Pirelli cannot be given back during practice and must be available for use in the race. At least one of these two sets must be used during the race – but the teams can decide which one.
•The top 10 at the end of qualifying will still have to give back the set of the softer compound nominated for Q3, and start the race on the tires with which they set their fastest time in Q2 (the same rule as is the case currently). All other drivers will be able to use the set that is saved for Q3 during the race.

Nothing to it, so easy to understand!!!!

 

[Whitewolf]

What's the problem with that?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Formula 1 could over complicate a cup of coffee.

There probably are coffee maker rules to ensure that spying devices aren't incorporated.

Quote:
Pirelli will nominate two mandatory race sets for each car.

Quote:
The two mandatory sets nominated by Pirelli cannot be given back during practice and must be available for use in the race. At least one of these two sets must be used during the race – but the teams can decide which one....The two mandatory sets chosen by Pirelli can be of two different compounds, from the three that have been nominated for the race weekend. These sets will obviously be identical for each team.

This is where I don't like the wording. Are there two mandatory sets or not? How can you say there are two mandatory sets, when only one of those two sets must be used during the race? This seems a bit silly, considering that two compounds are going to be used anyhow and three are up for use. But, considering that the two mandatory sets are the same for every car in the race, whereas the team/driver gets to choose from three compounds, and a car will only use two of the three compounds available for the race, the term "mandatory" is a bit confusing.

Perhaps they should have worded it that two sets are nominated by Pirelli across the grid, with each team required to use at least one in the race. "Mandatory" is used way too much in their release.

Bernie, are you reading this? I can nitpick words with the best of them, and could easily kill an hour just over those few sentences. Please sign up at BITOG and provide me with an offer of employment with suitable remuneration by PM. I'll even write a complicated coffee rule, taking into account Brazilian drivers and sponsors.

 

[Tosh]

Bernie appeared in my dream and explained that he and Jean Todt are perfectly happy to go along with Michelin's devious plan to incite Pirelli and their Chinese overlords to SHRED what remains of any reputation Pirelli might have had. He went on to say he is quite baffled but bemused at the continuing sacrifices Pirelli is willing to make in their desperate struggle to keep 'tires' as the main talking point in F1. And then he suggested I sell my remaining Pirelli stock...

 

[Garak]

Maybe your dream was wrong and Bernie and Jean like to make Pirelli dance.

 

[Tosh]

TODAY Thursday 17 Dec is THE DAY when F1 teams (individual drivers, actually) must make their tire selections for the first race in Australia which takes place in March. So it appears the 2016 F1 season (at least the early part until teams figure it out) is lining up to be a tire selection lottery fixed way in advance, and Pirelli appear to be spicing up the circus (more than usual) for the new young fans, while reminding the rest of us how artificial ALL the drama is. I just hope Lewis can maintain his motivation to race and not get distracted by something more exciting (like soccer or singing).

 

[Garak]

Go to Autosport, and there's an article "clarifying" the tire regulations. I thought I had done that, and quite well. Apparently, F1's and F1 journalists have a different definition of "clarification" than I do. It seems that I had the gist right, but I didn't write enough of a novel about it.

Also, I was wondering why the choices had to be made so early for races like the Australian GP versus the European leg. It's because, I kid you not, they ship the tires by boat and don't want to pay airfare to transport them, unless a journalist is having a big laugh at putting out a big piece of misinformation like this.

 

[A_Harman]

....on the other hand, maybe I will start following politics again. It's more understandable than F1 tire rules.

 

[Garak]

Now, could you imagine if they added another tire supplier?

 

[Tosh]

I can imagine if Michelin joined all the teams would rush to get away from Pirelli.

 

[Garak]

Maybe, but I'm sure there would be some rule that would make it difficult, at the very least.