The 2013 season was anything but a quiet one for Formula 1's control tyre supplier Pirelli. Severe restrictions on testing coupled with an increasingly aggressive approach to tyre construction led to F1 media and fans being very vocal about what they thought was the right role for a tyre supplier.
Thanks to the radical new power units, a tense championship battle between the Mercedes drivers and other on track and off track happenings F1 seems to have forgotten about the black round things at four corners of the cars this year.
Nothing particularly radical came from Pirelli either in terms of news or developments this year until the British Grand Prix when it was announced that the Italian tyre company would use the F1 test at Silverstone after the race weekend to try out an 18 inch tyre for Lotus F1 to evaluate and eventually other teams too who would then take a consensus on whether to run the specification or not.
The move is seen as a means by which Pirelli can create road relevant technology and use F1 to test it out as road cars in developed markets like Europe and North America make use of lower profile tyres that provide better handling and grip and due to narrower sidewalls do not roll as much as ones with higher designs.
A hint of Pirelli's intention to "change their profile in F1" was dropped at last year's Indian Grand Prix, however, when Pirelli's motorsport boss Paul Hembery sat down with autoX.
"We can do what we want with tyres," said Hembery. "We can use the tyre as a sensor like a cyber tyre, we can use it as entertainment branding or for endurance. There's many ways going forward that we can change what we use F1 for and you will have to wait and see what we do."
For now it seems Pirelli wants to get cracking on an idea (low profile tyres) that it has been promoting ever since it first got the nod to be F1's control tyre supplier in 2010. At least according to the press release the company issued.
The 18-inch tyre is an idea that Pirelli has promoted ever since the company was first announced as Formula One official tyre supplier back in 2010. Larger wheel and tyre sizes reflect modern market trends; with the adoption of a larger size invariably leading to even greater technology transfer between Formula One tyres and road car tyres.
Pirelli would only progress this initiative if there were a genuine desire from the teams, promoter and other stakeholders to move in such a direction. This is in accordance with the Italian firm’s consistent philosophy of being a technical partner and sponsor entirely at the service of the teams and the sport, in order to benefit the spectacle as a whole.
These tyres, developed and created by Pirelli’s engineers as part of the company’s premium strategy, serve only as an example of what is possible. However, the technology is in place already to produce this type of tyre with the same standards of performance and reliability set by the current 13-inch rubber. Indeed, with a new tyre concept right at the beginning of its development curve, the possibilities are almost limitless. These include even larger sizes in future.
A new 18-inch tyre would not be without its technical challenges to produce, although the pay-off would be increased rigidity through having less flexibility in the sidewalls. Nonetheless, this necessary movement forms an important part of the current Formula One car’s suspension and damping.
A smaller sidewall would also inevitably lead to drastically reduced branding space. In spite of this, Pirelli is completely ready and capable to move ahead with development of such a tyre should the teams wish for it to happen. And proof of this proactive capability lies in the existence of the tyres that will be circulating around Silverstone next week.
Lotus is scheduled to take a 2014 E22 out on the Silverstone Grand Prix track during next week’s test on Wednesday, equipped with one-off Pirelli P Zero 18-inch concept tyres.
Much like the now defunct 2.4 litre, V-8 engines a 13 inch tyre is not considered relevant for everyday road car users anymore.
And Pirelli's move seems to be in line with the sport's and its governing body the FIA to make it appealing for the automotive sector as well as the everyday car user who fancies him or herself to be a bit of a Schumacher behind the wheel.
It remains to be seen, however, if F1 teams would be receptive to the idea - given their track record of not being able to reach a consensus on many things - and their feedback along with their arguments for or against a low profile tyre should be worth looking out for.
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