F1 | Megaride Simulation: Red alert for tires on banking

On Sunday, F1 returns to the track in Holland for the first race after the summer break. The last GP saw Mercedes as protagonists, confirming their strong growth, despite Russell’s disqualification because his W15 was found to be underweight. Positive signs also from Ferrari with Leclerc’s pole, which was then not capitalized on; while McLaren still seems unable to exploit the full potential of its car. Red Bull, no longer dominant, manages to make a good comeback with Verstappen.

Zandvoort, a few kilometers from Amsterdam, is located on the shores of the North Sea, so it is a circuit characterized by the typical coastal climate with strong winds that carry sand onto the track. The Dutch track is characterized by a very narrow and twisty roadway and two turns, 3 and 14, with very steep banking angles: 19° and 18° respectively.

• As can be seen from the graph, the highest temperatures are reached in turns 1 and 11 where heavy braking is required, placing considerable longitudinal stress on the tyres. Also particularly demanding are turns 3 and 14, characterised by the presence of banking which limits the lateral force on the tyres but significantly increases the vertical component that the tyre must withstand.
• For this weekend Pirelli is forced to choose the hardest set available: C1-C2-C3 to cope with the high vertical loads reached in turns 3 and 14 which could lead to structural problems.
• Due to the proximity to the sea, the grip expected over the course of the weekend is very variable: low at the beginning and gradually higher.

MegaRide Chart, Dutch GP

Photo by: MegaRide

Although grip and abrasion are medium-low, the expected wear on this circuit is medium-high, especially due to the banking characteristic of turns 3 and 14. The front right is slightly less stressed due to the smaller number of left-hand corners.

Due to the low grip, narrow track and presence of sand on the track, overtaking is very difficult. Therefore, qualifying and pit strategies are essential to maximize the outcome of the race.