Scientists continue their research in Barcelona this week by testing more complex compounds.
It cannot be overstated that the lap times from the two-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya are completely without significance - heavily reliant on the run schedules requested by Pirelli to test its smaller prototype tyres for 2026 and its compounds on the harder end of the scale.
Despite Hamilton's advantage in acquiring more experience with the Ferrari setup from last year, the principal beneficiary of the test is actually Pirelli. The Italian tire manufacturer faces significant challenges in developing and producing tyres with dimensions that are narrower, 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear, and smaller in circumference, specifically front tire diameters dropping from 720mm to 705-710mm, to accommodate a wide array of cars in the next season.
Pirelli faces an obstacle as it lacks representative cars to test its new tire on, since the 2026 models will exhibit substantially reduced drag and less downforce contributed by the floor and diffuser.
Initial plans to reduce overall downforce by 40% have been scaled back to approximately 15% due to concerns over increased lap times, which are now expected to align with current performance levels. However, the new cars are significantly differentiated in how they produce performance, making it necessary for Pirelli to rely on mule cars from 2022-2024, fitted with reduced wings, to gather real-world data from its new tires.
Following an initial test with the 2022 Aston Martin model in September and previous soaking wet-test days at Le Castellet, Ferrari and McLaren conducted a test in Barcelona using more recent cars with noticeably reduced wing levels. They appeared with nearly flat mainplanes, more like the ones seen in circuits with little high downforce, such as Baku or Las Vegas, rather than the downforce-heavy Montmelo track.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24 during Pirelli test.
Photo by: Pirelli
The overall downforce levels of these mule cars will be roughly on par with the initial 2026 specifications, although the cars' distinctive designs pose a challenge for Pirelli to accurately recreate the stresses its tyres will endure. Hence, Pirelli is relying on receiving regular simulation data from teams to stay one step ahead of the curve.
We can't solely rely on equine cars, it wouldn't make sense, and we'll keep supplying them with a virtual model of the tire to utilize in their simulators, and they'll revert to us with their comments. This is the course of action we should continue pursuing.
Modifying the overall downforce and how it is produced will have a significant impact on the kinds of loads that the tyres to be used in 2026 will be subjected to. Therefore, it is essential for Pirelli to ensure that the internal design of its new tyres is appropriate. Any additional adjustments can then be made by fine-tuning the compounds.
The Italians are not only considering their expected performance in 2026, but also anticipating the typical rapid progress teams typically make at the start of a new regulations cycle, and so Pirelli needs to factor in sufficient extra performance reserves to account for the potential increase in tyre loads that will occur later on.
One key challenge arises from the introduction of the upcoming X-mode, a DRS-like form of active aerodynamics that adjusts the angle of the front and rear wings on the straights for increased top speeds, unlike the conventional Z-mode configuration.
We're unable to produce these downforce levels with the X-mode and Z-mode," Isola explained. "Therefore, we need to determine the ideal balance for testing purposes. In order to achieve this, we must compare the data from simulations with the data collected during on-track testing. Firstly, we must establish the profile and construction of the circuit. As we had a productive test with Aston Martin, I consider that a good starting point. Second, we must focus on compound development.
Mario Isola, Racing Manager at Pirelli Motorsport
The photograph is the work of Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images.
We understand it's a difficult task, as teams naturally don't want to sacrifice any competitiveness compared to the current cars. The new tyres have reduced dimensions, lower load-carrying capacity, and therefore we're exploring novel materials and concepts to create a tyre that meets the increased demands equally, without increasing weight.
Pirelli had previously faced the challenge of producing tires for changing regulations. However, the 2026 challenge might be less complicated than the one in 2017, when F1 adopted larger, wider cars with more downforce that were difficult to replicate with test vehicles. The 2022 switch to cars relying on ground-effect aerodynamics presented another significant challenge for the tire manufacturer.
"This situation is comparable to our experiences in 2017 and 2022, where we had to design an entirely new tire for a brand-new vehicle, so this isn't an unfamiliar challenge for us," Isola stated in a previous roundtable discussion.
It was extremely challenging in 2016 as it was anticipated that cars would have significantly enhanced downforce and the lap time would be a full five to six seconds faster than the previous year, making it nearly unachievable to match that level of performance.
The current process for achieving the design criteria with the existing cars is distinct from the new one, for instance. Moreover, we're experiencing a significant amount of load on straightaways, whereas in 2026, we're expected to achieve our design targets at higher speeds with reduced load. Therefore, the comparison is not relevant.
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