Tyre News - Pick-a-Compound in 2013?

[Spritle]

I think the teams making their own compound choices is a great idea, now just bin the two compounds per race rule and we might have something!

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/58291.html

[Bononi]

Tyres, tyres, tyres and more tyres ! Amazing !

[tristancliffe]

Would it be:

a) each team can choose which two compounds they use?
or
b) each team votes on the tyres they want, and Pirelli pick the most popular two?

Either way, this means the teams will pick the two compounds most likely to give them a quickest race time overall, which probably means less action. Having cars being FORCED to use tyres they don't really want to is a very good way of creating action and making the teams and drivers work hard for success. I'd rather have action and forced compound usage than less action and the teams having tyres they like all the time.

[Bononi]

I think there'll be like 6 different compounds and each team would pick up a different mix of flavours... uhn... like super-soft;soft-soft and medium-soft.

[Spritle]

Why not make them use old blistered tyres, I'm sure that's tyres they don't want and it may create even more action... Besides, most teams use the soft compound for most of the race distance which gives them the optimum performance. That hasn't made much difference in the action.

What I am getting from the article that Pirelli-Marbot will create several compounds for the teams to chose from for each race. Then it will be up to the teams to pick the ideal two, (unfortunately). With the two tyre rule you would still have one less than ideal set for the action aficionados and also the likelihood that many teams will make the same tyre choices for the spec aficionados so I'm sure the contrived action won't be too compromised.

[Bononi]

Let's wait for Mr. Pirello.

[Spritle]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Let's wait for Mr. Pirello.

I'm sure it won't be long...

[bella]

i'd like to see random allocations to start the race on, and they only find out when the cars go to the grid. not only would it be a strategic and engineering challenge, it'd keep the drivers on their toes too.

[Dead-Eye]

Originally Posted by bella

i'd like to see random allocations to start the race on, and they only find out when the cars go to the grid. not only would it be a strategic and engineering challenge, it'd keep the drivers on their toes too.

Or we just forget about all that racing nonsense and pick the winner in a lottery. Totally unpredictable and exciting.

[Marbot]

Yes. Get rid of the 2 compound rule. I would even suggest that different compounds could be used on one axle. Pick 'n' Mix! () Then race them until you need some more...or not, as the case may be.

Or we could just have one compound of a really hard tyre, just to satisfy Bononi.

Then we can watch certain teams (Ferrari?) struggling to get heat into them all season.

[GTRMagic]

Is it just me, or is Pirelli using the media, most specifically Autosport, to get its desires across to the world?

Almost every week there is some kind of discussion there about something Pirelli doesnt like about their current deal.

Case in point is the 'waste' of a set of 'options' which remain unused at the end of a race weekend. Pirelli are whinging that it costs money to produce the tyre, and transport it across the world, only to take it back, and ultimately destroy it unused.

Now.. dont the teams pay for their tyres? So if they want to pay for tyres, and freight across the world.. is that not ok? Its not like other categories where you might be able to keep the unused tyres for testing or free practice at the next event.. but if they are paid for, there is an argument about wasted resources.. fully funded by teams..

Same as this argument, about teams selecting their own compounds. That happened in the GoodYear v's Pirelli days, teams could choose compounds and case constructions.. if you were competitive, you became a favoured team, and got a higher ranked choice of what was available, and access to development tyres.

But we are now in a control tyre era of the sport... and what will happen to Pirelli's tyre planning and shipping experiences if all the squads get a choice?

For example, Mr Vettel to Soft all the time, Mr Webber to Hard all the time... teams cant relate setup of their cars to one another as the tyre characteristics change the balance of the cars. More technogumbies needed at events, ups the costs...

Sounds like it puts more complexity & cost into the system, just to *ahem* satisfy their countrymen *cough*

This stuff wasnt even on the radar in the Bridgestone era.. why is Pirelli being so.. 'interesting'

[Malfunction Junction]

Licorice Allsorts tyres. All compounds (and colours) in one.



Actually I think they could do this by nominating their optimum from the picks - about 6 weeks ahead, so pirelli can select the 2 most popular and then make only the tyres required to reduce wastage.

Then throw in some random weather and.....

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Tyres, tyres, tyres and more tyres ! Amazing !

Indeed, it makes you wonder why tyres became standardized. One of the main reasons for introducing the 'control tyre' was to make tyres not decide the outcome of the race - as if they did in prior the introduction. To only way of achieving this goal, is to have only one compound for the entire season. A compound so hard that tyres could do the entire race distance easily.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by Pingguest

Indeed, it makes you wonder why tyres became standardized. One of the main reasons for introducing the 'control tyre' was to make tyres not decide the outcome of the race - as if they did in prior the introduction. To only way of achieving this goal, is to have only one compound for the entire season. A compound so hard that tyres could do the entire race distance easily.

What we are seeing is the way in which different teams, cars and drivers use tyres influencing (not deciding) the result. This is very different to the result being determined by which tyre manufacturer the teams happen (or can afford) to be in bed with and which team the tyre manufacturer decides to develop their tyres around as we have seen in the past.

[Pingguest]

I still maintain we see the very same thing engines and gearboxes.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Pingguest

I still maintain we see the very same thing engines and gearboxes.

We hardly 'see' anything of the engines and gearboxes.

People seem more concerned about what they 'hear', rather than anything else.

As for one very hard compound of tyre: The race (barring accidents and reliability issues) would be won on the first lap. Precisely the sort of thing that Pirelli/FOTA/FIA were trying to avoid.

IIRC, Vettel did all but one lap of the Italian GP on the Bridgestone 'soft' tyre, last season. Only needing to pit because of the 'two compound' rule. Maybe it's not such a bad thing after all?

[GTRMagic]

Can a team select a Bridgestone in its choice of tyres? A certain red mob would likely be quite pleased at this option...

[Bononi]

Bridgestone !

[stripedcat]

I don't know if we should go back to having four different types of compound for tyres. I think it would make the racing more boring. Plus getting rid of the compulsory pitstop wouldn't help matters.

As for standardising parts on the F1 cars, well brakes have been standardised to some degree. There isn't that much variation between teams. I suppose the cooling ducts vary.