If tyre users blamed for blow out fiasco why change design?

[John S]

Does anyone else see a contradiction in Pirelli's findings and actions?

If the circumstances at Silverstone were specific; i.e.. because of teams actions, certain kerb conditions and extra loadings due to the nature of the high speed circuit, then why is it necessary to change to Kevlar? 

Surely getting the teams to obey a new more stringent set of rules around tyre use should solve the problem. Pirelli in it's explanation of why things went awry at the British GP, see extract from ESPN.co.uk website article, makes clear that the cars that experienced blow outs were all exceeding, or ignoring, recommended tyre use and/or pressure & camber settings.

Looks like Lotus and FIF1 are to get stuffed again by the very teams who were pushing the boundaries too far in order to gain performance. So now instead of having to take their medicine by losing some performance the teams and drivers who brought the blow outs upon themselves are rewarded with tyres that appear to suit them better.    How's that for getting 'a real result' for irresponsible, unsafe and arguably dishonest behaviour.

Pirelli has blamed the way the Formula One teams used its tyres as the main cause of the blow outs it experienced at the British Grand Prix, citing tyres mounted the wrong way round, low pressures and extreme cambers as the reasons why the tyres suffered cuts from Silverstone's high kerbs. At the top of its statement Pirelli made clear: "The 2013 tyres do not compromise safety if used in the correct way".

The Italian tyre manufacturer said the rear tyres on the cars that suffered blow outs had been mounted with the right-hand tyre on the left-hand side and vice-a-versa. It said the asymmetrical structure of its tyres had not been designed to be used in this way and had put extra stress on the sidewalls where the cuts had appeared.

Several teams have experimented with "tyre swapping" over recent years to gain a performance advantage and Pirelli admitted it too had underestimated the effect this would have on safety and should have banned the practice.

Pirelli claims the use of low pressures and extreme camber settings also put extra stress on the tyres, saying it has "no control" over these settings on the cars. It has asked the FIA to ensure the teams stick to its recommendations in the future and that a dedicated delegate is employed to check the teams do not push the limits.

ESPN.co.uk, 2nd July.

[Jericoke]

We know that teams are willing to push the boundries in terms of speed over saftey (don't get me wrong, we're past the days of not caring about driver safety).  A few 1/10 of a second, and a shot at the podium, is worth a 5% chance of DNF to the teams and drivers.

The only way for the FIA to control tire setup is for the FIA to control tire setup.  Tires come to the pits already mounted and inflated, and you use what you get.

Hmm.

That's not a bad idea.  In addition to different compounds, now teams have a fixed selection of pressure/camber etc.

[Scott]

Seal the valves once they are inflated.  Camber is a bit trickier to police since (I think), it's a fairly quick adjustment.

[Alonsofan]

It seems to me like Pirelli have been backed into a corner to change the tyres. I think the fault lies with the teams for pushing the boundaries with tyre pressures/cambers in a hope to gain that elusive few extra tenths.

[lkjohnson1950]

Both the NHRA and Nascar have had similar peoblems with the Goodyear's they use. Nascar now checks suspension settings before and after the race to be sure they fall into the recommended range, and you are definitely not allowed to swap left and right side tires as they are different compounds. As I said before the NHRA has an official who checks tire pressures as the cars go to the line to be sure they meet minimum pressures.

[cosworth151]

Why they are changing the design is simple. Every time somebody comes up with a new, improved fool proof system, along comes a new, improved fool! The tires were safe when used per instructions. Rather than force a few, favored teams to follow those instructions, the FIA chose to have the tires redesigned.

[Alianora La Canta]

Technically, the FIA is only authorised to unilaterally change tyres if there's a safety issue. Pirelli already had the authority to order (not merely suggest) teams on the use of tyres if that was the entirety of the problem, and with such an order, the FIA would already have been entitled to throw the book at anyone not in compliance. There have been tyre problems at several different tracks (all the high- and medium-tyre-wear tracks so far, in fact), so it is easy to demonstrate that the tyres, not any other factor, are the problem here. The tyres certainly weren't being swapped around when all this sorted in Malaysia.

The only reason I can see for what has transpired is if Pirelli have placed their PR message above being accurate. This augers badly for future episodes of Tyre Trouble.