The 2024 season is entering its final phase, with six race weekends still to go and an open world battle. However, in the meantime we are also looking to the future, in particular towards 2025, with the teams behind the scenes already active on two fronts, namely the development of the single-seaters for next year and the study of the 2026 rules.
Pirelli is already arriving on both fronts, having tested the first prototypes for the next technical cycle last September with Aston Martin. The main objective was not only to verify the quality of the first prototypes but also to verify the correlation of the simulations with the forklift car, given that it will be difficult to replicate the ways in which the load will be developed with future single-seaters. The next tests will be with McLaren and Alpine, which will carry out tests with wet tires towards the end of the year.
If that program is still in the early stages, the work towards 2025 is much more advanced, carried out with specific tests during the season. The construction of the tires for next year has in fact already been approved and homologated, considering that Pirelli must confirm its choices by September 1st, as established in agreement with the Federation.
The last test was in Monza, where the softer compounds were tested
Photo by: Pirelli
“As far as construction is concerned, the new specifications have been approved, as per the regulations. And now we are in the process of fine-tuning the compounds. We have some options,” explained Mario Isola, head of the Pirelli Motorsport group. The construction study phase was carried out in the first part of the season, taking advantage of a wide range of tracks, both high speed like Suzuka, and slower, with the aim of having references on types of tracks that offer different challenges.
Now the focus shifts to outlining the new specifications regarding the compounds, with some specific tests on tracks specifically designed to evaluate certain compounds. For example, to decide on the hardest compounds you will go to Mugello, a track full of high-speed corners that put the tires under stress, requiring more resistant compounds.
It is interesting to underline that, as confirmed by Mario Isola, this year too the second free practice session in Mexico will be extended by thirty minutes, in order to give the teams the opportunity to test the softer compounds directly on the track, given that in that appointment Pirelli will bring the three softest tires in the range, namely C3, C4 and C5.
“We have tests at Mugello, where we will define the harder compounds, and then we have another couple of sessions and the test over the weekend in Mexico, where we will test the softer compounds in FP2 with all the teams having different plans regarding the track work. I therefore believe we are in a good position to finalize the tires for 2025.”
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