Formula One
Bridgestone has developed a new super sports car tyre, the Potenza S007, as original equipment for the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta. The tyre size is 255/35 ZR 20 and the S007 will be fitted on the F12berlinetta in conventional and Run-Flat Technology tyres.
Michelin’s confirmed interest in the Formula One tyre supply deal may have caused a stir, but it appears the French brand’s approach remains limited to detailing its desire for regulation changes to governing body, the FIA. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that the sport’s teams currently have a deal with Pirelli, and Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has suggested that fewer changes at this stage would be welcome, considering the regulation changes already due to take place this winter.
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has dismissed whispers that Michelin is readying a move to supply the series in 2014. While it seems that the French manufacturer has confirmed some level of contact with the FIA – thought to be about changes it would require to the series’ regulations to supply its tyres – Ecclestone said this was irrelevant, since Pirelli has a contract with F1’s teams (FOM). He also restated his opposition to competition between tyre manufacturers.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel seems to be moving inexorably towards the 2013 Formula One Drivers’ Championship, taking his 31st career victory at the Belgian Grand Prix using a two-stop strategy. Vettel’s Red Bull set the fastest lap of the race on the hard tyre, claiming the lead from second on the grid and extending his championship advantage to 46 points over Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. His win means that he draws level with Nigel Mansell in terms of overall victories.
20 year old Tatiana Calderón from Columbia has set herself the goal of competing in Formula One having entered into professional karting at eight. Now tyre supplier Hankook is supporting her development as part of its role as tyre supplier to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, in which she is now competing.
Former Formula One racer Jean Alesi has emphasised the importance of tyre management at the Belgian grand prix. Held at one of the quickest circuits of the season in Spa-Francorchamps, Pirelli’s brand ambassador said that the number of fast corners, combined with the length of the track and variable weather could mean that the tyres cool during the latter stages of the lap, making achieving even performance throughout the lap difficult. The exclusive tyre supplier is bringing the P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium tyres, the two hardest compounds in the range, to Spa – an allocation that Pirelli says is “perfectly suited” to the high-energy demands of the circuit. Inclement weather could bring the Cinturato Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue wet tyres into play too.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has told Autosport.com he’s proud the team “had the balls” to stand by the criticisms it leveled against the performance of Pirelli’s 2013 Formula One tyres. The negative feedback from Red Bull Racing and company chief Dietrich Mateschitz regarding the tyres’ rapid degradation earlier in the season was dismissed by some competitors as complaints prompted by the team’s own struggles with the tyres – but Horner thinks other teams felt as Red Bull did, only they chose to be less forthright.
Pirelli’s motorsport director has described the absence of a tyre supply contract for next year’s Formula One championship as a “most bizarre situation.” The company’s three-year contract ends at the end of the current season and as a new deal has not been struck it must go ahead with plans for next year without any guarantee that it’ll be selected as tyre supplier.
WRC competitors will be able to select tyres from an additional manufacturer in 2014 after Pirelli registered as an official supplier to the Championship. The FIA confirmed on 1 August that the Italian manufacturer will join existing suppliers Michelin, Dmack and Hankook, who continues to supply tyres to Junior WRC.
Leading European performance brakes brand Brembo is continuing to diversify its global strategy in a bid to tackle sales figures that continue to fall in much of its traditionally strong markets. In the first quarter of 2013, the German and, to a lesser extent based on the relatively good performance of its automotive manufacturing, UK markets were the only two to increase sales, while domestic Italian and southern Europe continued to look weak. However, growing sales in the USA and China are prompting global investment, such as the 115 million euro investment the manufacturer recently announced to expand its US and Brazilian operations. And the company has continued to indulge its penchant for spectacle, with involvement in top-level motorsport series, such as MotoGP and Formula One, and Hollywood blockbusters driving its continued premium brand marketing.
Pirelli has announced that it will take its P Zero Orange (hard) and White (medium) compound Formula One tyres to Spa and Monza this year, while the final street race in Singapore will see the use of the P Zero Red supersoft compound along with the White. If there a whiff of conservatism about Pirelli’s tyre choices for the two fastest tracks of the year, you wouldn’t necessarily blame the tyre supplier. Following the harshness and high profile of the criticism it has received in 2013 – building to the crescendo after the British grand prix – the latest announcement is perhaps an indication of a change in thinking; perhaps it would be good not to talk about degrading Pirelli tyres for a while. On the other hand, Pirelli reasons that at these most demanding of tracks, the harder compounds are simply best-equipped to deal with the conditions, and Pirelli has tended to steer clear of by default providing tyres two compound steps apart, as had become conventional in the recent past. Of course, Singapore will provide an opportunity to see if this idea provides more strategic choices for teams and drivers. Motorsport director Paul Hembery reiterated his view that the tyres selected would provide the “best opportunities for strategy” and be “the most effective race tyres.”
Pirelli is back at Silverstone this weekend following its recent Formula One visits for the Silverstone Classic. The manufacturer will sponsor a Porsche 911 parade of the GP circuit on Sunday 28 July to commemorate its 60th anniversary, having signed a minimum three-year deal to sponsor Porsche Club Great Britain. Pirelli’s financial support of Porsche Club GB, as well as providing it with tyres and on-event technical expertise, are part of this agreement, makes it the official tyre supplier to the 16-race Porsche Club Championship series for production-based Porsches. Pirelli will also bring its F1 simulator and hospitality unit to the annual three-day event, from which it will run a number of competitions with prizes including drive experience days at Thruxton race circuit.
Pirelli travels to the Hungaroring with the new mash-up tyre selection sampled by 2013 drivers at Silverstone’s Young Driver Test last week this weekend. Consisting of the 2013 compounds in the tread and the 2012 Kevlar-belted construction, Pirelli channelled its inner Thom Yorke, pronouncing there were no alarms and no surprises following the “reliable” testing of the ‘new’ tyres’ performance. Pirelli’s Motorsport director Paul Hembery was diplomatic following the Young Driver Test, opining that “everybody achieved their objectives” at Silverstone. Thanking the teams for their cooperation in running tyre tests as required by Pirelli, he said the tyres had run “reliably throughout the three days”, and maintained the hope that they would allow teams to use “an interesting mix of strategies for the races ahead”. Yet with teams already possessing “a lot of information about the shape and deformation of this tyre from the previous season,” according to Hembery, it seems likely that these new compromise tyres could reduce tactical malleability. That said, the Hungarian grand prix will allow some focus on tyre strategy, with limited overtaking opportunities and low average speeds, so perhaps there could be more to talk about from a tyre point of view than Tyrepress.com anticipates.
Following confirmation of a return to Formula One for the 2015 season in May, Honda has announced that it will base its European racing operation in Milton Keynes. Honda says the new facility will be the European frontline operation for its F1 participation, a joint project with McLaren to supply the power unit, including the engine and energy recovery system. It will rebuild and maintain power units developed at the Honda R&D centre in Tochigi, Japan, while its trackside support operations from this new European office.
Britain is to get a new race track, following Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s approval of plans for the construction of what will be known as “Circuit of Wales”. It will host all types of racing except Formula One according to news sources.
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