F1 – From Montreal GP : Technical Perspective
Montreal is a brilliant win for McLaren. They execute the right tyre strategy and Red Bull got it wrong. It’s as simple as that actually. In Formula One. Faster cars and faster drivers don’t win all the times. There is a good reason for that, there are so many formulas for winning a grand prix. On the Canadian occasion, the most important single element of the car has to be the tyre.
First there is a linear tyre degradation, second there is blistering and finally there is a graining tyre degradation. Now let’s talk about graining, the hot topic from Montreal. Graining occurs when the surface of the tyre grips sideways and rolls up due to the shear force on the rubber.
Short video explaining graining.
When a tyre suffered a graining, the rolled-up rubber will remains on the tread. In most cases, graining occurs laterally. However longitudinal graining can occur under hard acceleration track such as Canada.
2005 Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo, Monaco. 20th – 22nd May 2005. Fernando Alonso, Renault R25, action.
Tyres are prone to graining when temperatures are not at optimal, maybe too low or to high. However, graining can be cured by itself as the tyre wears. The rolled-up rubber will be cleaned off the tread and the tyre behaves normally. But in the race, one couldn’t afford a time-loss. In 2005, Alonso demonstrated a graining Michelin at Monaco. He suffered badly and by the time the tyres regain speed, he had lost the race.
Exit Bridgestone, Enter Pirelli.
Bridgestone will not be around next year, Pirelli will replace them. In the world of F1, it’s of the opinion that there are only two credible tyre maker capable of understanding F1 tyres, Bridgestone and Michelin. It’s interesting to see what Pirelli have in store next year. Hopefully, it will not be a tyre that are susceptible to graining and blown-ups. That would ruin the race and more importantly the safety of the spectators, marshals and drivers.
Pirelli, a Milan-based firm is already present in the World Rally Championship, the World Superbike Championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America, the Motocross World Championship and several other national championships for both cars and bikes.
Editorial : Mu’az Zakaria
Image Source : Lotus, Renault, Pirelli
