Pirelli’s tyres have been on the cautious facet in latest seasons, responding to the game’s quickest technology of vehicles with extra sturdy compounds that provide much less grip but in addition do not fall off a efficiency cliff like its early choices did.
However the Italian producer’s protected method has progressively hamstrung the groups’ potential to play with totally different methods. That was exemplified by final month’s Australian Grand Prix, wherein almost all groups have been compelled onto the identical one-stopper after an early crimson flag.
In Baku’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg virtually accomplished the complete race on Pirelli’s laborious compound, solely coming in for a pitstop proper on the finish due to the mandate to run two totally different tyre compounds throughout a race.
Preliminary criticism of F1’s lack of overtaking in Baku targeted on the choice to shorten its major DRS zone by 100 metres, however Haas group principal Steiner thinks F1 additionally must take one other have a look at what it desires from its tyre compounds.
“I feel we have to look into the tyres,” he mentioned in Miami when requested by Autosport about F1’s overtaking concern.
“We at all times complain when we have now drop-off. We at all times complain when we do not have it.
“We have to make our thoughts up what we would like as a result of I feel Pirelli delivered each methods after which we are saying now it is an excessive amount of, so it’ll at all times be tough.
“However I feel additionally we should not soar to conclusions after final weekend’s race [in Baku]. We had good races this 12 months with overtaking so we should always have a look at them and attempt to replicate them and never simply being too bitter about what occurred final week.
“Clearly all of us anticipated crimson flags, there can be security vehicles, and nothing of that occurred. However I am fairly constructive that if there must be one thing carried out, we are going to do it to make it simpler. It should by no means be simple to overhaul.”
Tyres in tyre blankets
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
The significance of strategic variance was highlighted in Miami, which did characteristic extra overtaking between drivers on totally different pitstop methods.
However with the complete grid’s efficiency ranges nearer than ever because of the 2022 laws, it has been steered that there’s not sufficient of a lap time distinction between the assorted vehicles to get out of the dreaded DRS trains, which type when drivers haven’t got sufficient of a pace benefit to make use of the DRS to overhaul.
Steiner agreed that much less overtaking may very well be a by-product of the brand new guidelines however cautioned {that a} downforce-driven championship like F1 won’t ever see the extent of passing appreciated in different sequence.
“It should at all times be tough with single-seater vehicles with huge wings – the overtaking will at all times be an issue,” he added.
“Typically it is higher. I feel final 12 months, it was higher than this 12 months. I feel we did not assist ourselves with shortening the DRS zone in Baku, however it’ll at all times be tough.
“I feel it is one in every of these items, you’ll by no means have a Components 1 the place overtaking comes at a delta lap time without work of two tenths, there must at all times be extra.”
