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Pirelli to introduce mega-soft tyre?

Published on 25 Jun 2017 11:42
5
By: Fergal Walsh

There are suggestions that Pirelli could be introducing a new tyre for the 2018 season, after its newly designed 2017 tyres have been much more durable and long-lasting. The Italian supplier last crafted up a new compound in 2016 when the purple-walled ultra-soft was introduced.

Under the old Pirelli designs, drivers were forced to heavily preserve the tyre to keep the life in them for as long as possible. This year, that's much easier to do due to the nature of how they degrade, making them last much longer.

The orange-walled hard compound, which is the hardest of all the compounds, has been scrapped for the rest of the season after it was deemed all but useless at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year.

Referring to the recent Montreal race, Haas team boss Gunther Steiner said of the so-called 'super soft' compound: "We could have done three races with this tyre." Renault's Nico Hulkenberg agreed: "If you look at the tyres after 30 laps, they're like new."

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport spoke out about a possible solution, which would be to bring in an even softer tyre. If it was to be done, the covers wouldn't be thrown off until the 2018 season, and it would be called te mega-soft tyre.

Fergal Walsh

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527

One more tyre wouldnt solve the issue, they are all harder than they are supposed to be, and none of the teams has used the very hard compound so far. Make an actual ultra soft tyre, mark them as ultra soft, label the current US as SS, SS as S, and so on, and ditch the current VH compound. And ma... [Read more]

1
Jun 25 2017 - 11:54

F1 News Renault Pirelli

Replies (5)

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
One more tyre wouldnt solve the issue, they are all harder than they are supposed to be, and none of the teams has used the very hard compound so far. Make an actual ultra soft tyre, mark them as ultra soft, label the current US as SS, SS as S, and so on, and ditch the current VH compound. And maybe lower the tyre pressures alittle? Current pressures doesnt help the already hard tyres.
- + 1
- Jun 25 2017 - 11:54
- f1fan0101
  
  Posts: 1,804
  Lower tyre pressures could be dangerous, especially over kerbs
  + 0
  
  Jun 25 2017 - 12:02
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  It could be, but I dont think it is as it stands today. The tyres are hard enough to withstand most tear and wear, and the pressures are very high at the moment. Even lowering them ever so slightly could make a difference.
  + 0
  
  Jun 25 2017 - 12:19
F1racefan97

Posts: 113
Clearly something needs to change in terms of tyres, yes they can push a lot more consistently now but a bit more waring would be nice to change up the strategy a bit, one stop races are too straight forward for me
- + 0
- Jun 25 2017 - 14:03
f1dave

Posts: 782
Allow Dunlop and Michelin back in to really add interest.
- + 0
- Jun 25 2017 - 17:34