F1 Tyre Testing Kicks off in Abu Dhabi

[Paul Jeffrey]

Pirelli kicked off the 2017 Formula One season in Abu Dhabi today as teams took to the Yas Marina circuit to test out the new for 2017 wide tyres on track for the last time in 2016, represented by new World Champions Mercedes, Red Bull Renault and the Ferrari team.

With 2017 marking a significant change in regulations for Formula One, Pirelli are keen to put their new wider slick tyres to the test once again before the teams roll out their 2017 challengers early in the new year. The regulation changes for next season mean tyres will be around 25 percent wider, with rears up from 325mm to 405, and fronts up from 245 to 305. Diameter will also increase very slightly, though wheel rim size remains unchanged at 13 inches. Coupled with increased downforce over the 2016 machines, Formula One in 2017 could be a very different prospect than viewers have seen in recent seasons.

Newly dethroned World Champion Lewis Hamilton is in attendance for his AMG Mercedes team, handing over to Manor driver and Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein for the afternoon session. Representing Scuderia Ferrari is Kimi Raikkonen, while Daniel Ricciardo and team mate Max Verstappen are both in attendance for the Red Bull squad.

Due to strict testing regulations, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes are all running updated 2015 cars with modified aerodynamics (wider track) aimed at simulating the higher downforce regulations of 2017. The Abu Dhabi test is the final running this year in a series of tests held by Pirelli in preparation for the new season, as the tyre manufacturer looks to continue development of tyres that promise to be more durable than the current behaviour of the rubber supplied from the manufacturer since making its Formula One debut back in 2009.

“We’ve made huge steps forward since trying the new tyres out for the first time at the beginning of August and we’re pleased by the results obtained with the majority of the specifications,” said Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery.​

“We know, however, that the work is just beginning. The aerodynamic progress made by next year’s cars will lower lap times by around five seconds compared to 2015, and about three seconds compared to this year.”

“The new cars that will take to the track for the first time in February will have a downforce increase of more than 20 percent: much more than we have seen with the mule cars,” added Hembery. “And that progress will continue throughout the whole of next season.”​

Pirelli have produced a nice little summary video detailing the changes to the regulations in 2017, which you can view below:

Are you going to miss Formula One during the off season? Well you can get your fix of all things Grand Prix here at RaceDepartment in our very own Formula One sub forum. Head on over to the forum and join in the discussion with your fellow fans of the sport today!

What do you think of the new for 2017 regulations? Do you think the top teams will maintain the status quo? Will the new regs promote better racing? Can someone topple Mercedes from their dominant position? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Chris]

I am shaking with excitement for next season. The cars are going to be absolutely mega! The best bit of all will be the no more designed-to-degrade tyres which will make following closely a little easier since it won't result in so much thermal degradation.

 

[Rodent]

Certainly does sound good.

I'll admit I actually still kind of miss the old tire manufacturer wars we had with Bridgestone vs Michelin though. I get why they opted for a single manufacturer but I felt it added an extra layer to the strategy/pit game.

 

[BhZ]

I'm no expert but to be honest i'm worried that next year won't change much. DRS is still there, so most drivers won't risk their race with an overtake "old style" but will just wait for a straight to use the DRS. I believe that the only way to improve F1 is to make cars with way less downforce and more power, so that the drivers will make more mistakes. Now we have a car with more downforce, more mechanical grip, same power as before. Basically, they seem easier to drive than before. I hope i'm wrong.

 

[Boby Kim]

And the V10 engines? when are those coming back?

 

[Andy 'Mars Bar' Graham]

What do you think of the new for 2017 regulations?

I think they are stupid

 

[fortyfivekev]

Wider tyres are an improvement but more aero is dumb. I don't think it will make much difference to the racing overall. Hopefully Red Bull can get closer to Mercedes but I am not too optimistic.

 

[shimon.ifraimov]

that wing on the ferrari with those fat tires look so much better!

 

[Glaurung]

Bring into the challenge another tyre manufacturer and we'll see again F1 drivers pushing during the race like qually instead of cruising for a target lap time ordered by engineers.

 

[burrito]

Bigger diffuser was good, bigger wings was good, bigger tyres (that don't have a ridiculous temperature window) was good, not banning multiple planes and slats on the front wing was not. (See 2016 front wing image below)

 

[RichardHessels]

Bigger diffuser was good, bigger wings was good, bigger tyres (that don't have a ridiculous temperature window) was good, not banning multiple planes and slats on the front wing was not.

There would be a huge imbalance if you have little downforce at the front and a lot at the back.
Giving the cars huge understeer, at high speed the car could flip backwards when for some reason the wind comes under it.

 

[burrito]

That's not how downforce works. It's nowhere near that simple. The extra flaps on the front wings since 2011 (or so) are used to direct air around the front tyres to help increase downforce at the rear. So no, it wouldn't make the cars flip. It would mean less downforce overall from the wings (to be replaced by teams focusing on the diffusers more), lower drag, higher top speeds, longer braking zones and more racier cars. (Diffusers are much less affected by dirty air than these highly sculpted front wings).

Just as an example these cars made much more downforce than 2014-2016 cars and were perfectly balanced aerodynamically and both had quite flat, non sculpted, front wing mainplanes.

Now compare to a 2016 front wing, look especially at the outboard sections of the mainplane.

 

[Benutzername]

What the actual

This tyres are huuuuge

 

[LilSki]

I'm not an F1 guy but I feel more down force is indeed a mistake. I know most here don't care for Nascar (and I know it's a completely different kind of racing) but they have been removing down force for the past 2 years and the racing has been much much better overall compared to years past. The cars slip and slide around and really are put back into the drivers hands. I feel any series that has cars racing on the same track should limit down force. Leave the crazy wings for time attack cars.

 

[James Cook]

No DRS and less aero please.

 

[Robert_S]

Move along , it's gonna be another boring season

 

[ThatRacingGuy]

I'm sorry but someone has to be "that" guy, and i guess it's my turn now

"Pirelli in preparation for the new season, as the tyre manufacturer looks to continue development of tyres that promise to be more durable than the current behaviour of the rubber supplied from the manufacturer since making its Formula One debut back in 2009"

I'm sorry @Paul Jeffrey
but Pirelli debuted Formula 1 in 2011 to my knowledge. In 2009/10 it was still Bridgestone.

still a great article like always

 

[Marco Waechter]

I'm always thinking that the current weight of the cars is the main problem for the driving and racing looking more boring.
Less weasel-quick looking (& direction changing) cars in chicanes and also all the other corners, and probably harder to outbrake other cars + the overtaken car to react as well (that's why they need DRS nowadays).
Ten years ago or so the min. weight was 600 kg, now it's s.th. about 200kg (105 kg currently / 125 kg in 2017; without fuel) more and not only because of the refulling ban. Don't know why they increased the min. weight (because of certain safety reasons maybe).
Somewhere above 600kg there must be a 'border' to when the cars starting to behave and look more like trucks or let's say endurance cars than a F1 car .
The heigher weight is making it much harder for the tire's life as well, so it's not only on Pirelli's side that tires are struggling.

 

[Helmut Skrdla]

It's funny, but with the Noses down to the concrete, now wider track and tires, we are somewhat going back to the looks of late 80s and early 90s. Which is a good thing.

 

[AndrewBo]

I luv it.
A great article like always.

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