Pirelli debuting new spec F1 rear tyre at Silverstone

Mario Isola reports the successful testing of a new specification Formula 1 rear tyre during free practice at the Austrian Grand Prix on 2 July. In light of “positive feedback” from drivers and following approval from the World Motor Sport Council, Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing shares that Pirelli will debut this tyre at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this coming weekend.

Pirelli says the new specification tyre “incorporates some elements” that have been developed for use in the 18-inch Formula 1 tyres from 2022 but do not weigh any more than the specification used previously. Teams will race on the new specification tyre for the rest of the season ahead of the introduction of tyre pressure monitoring systems next year.

The introduction of a new rear tyre specification follows the blowouts experienced by Lance Verstappen and Lance Stroll during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Although Pirelli stated that its examination of tyres used in that race revealed “no production or quality defect,” it says that with the new structure it can provide “a tyre that can guarantee even greater levels of integrity under the extreme conditions that can be generated by the current cars.”