Tag Archives: tyres

Testing times in F1

Three tests down and the last about to start before the 2011 season kicks off two weeks late in Melbourne after the cancellation postponement of the Bahrain GP.
2011 looks to be a stellar season in F1 – did I just use the word ’stellar’? – with Red Bull continuing their position as the team to beat and Ferrari showing good form. McLaren will have a fast car too, they always do and they have a well earned reputation for improving their car throughout the season.
The tyres are likely to play a key role this year too with the Pirellis not lasting as long during testing as last years Bridgestones. It will be an interesting year as during the tyre war a few years back it took teams nearly a whole season to effectively make the switch from one supplier, now all the teams are doing it together but will that [...]

Next year heralds more tech changes

So 2011 won’t only include a new tyre supplier, it will have new technical regulations because of the F-duct. McLaren’s innovation of the F-duct seems to have caught a lot of the other teams on the back foot and has given them a huge advantage in terms of development time this year and from the results it looks like they’ve put it to good use. This new device although banned for next year is surely behind the new regulation that the drivers will be able to adjust the top flap of the rear wing.
With a similar effect to the F-duct a movable rear wing will effectively be a boost button on long straights and will enable the cars to run with more down-force at places like Canada and Silverstone. It will come down to who can design the best system but I’m not sure that I like the whole idea. [...]

Button calls the tyres and does it again

Jenson Button became the first driver in 2010 to win for a second time as he beat Lewis Hamilton home for a McLaren 1-2. Button stayed near the sharp end at the start and then stayed out on slicks when most of the other top drivers pitted for intermediates, this put him out front with Nico Rosberg, as Rosberg started to struggle Button closed up and took the lead he wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the race. As the drivers on inters started to put the times in that would catch the leaders their tyres went and they had to pit again and so those at the front enjoyed about a 50s lead.
With the race order set for a while those who had stopped started to carve their way through the middle order, Lewis Hamilton showed his skill at overtaking during this phase and by the time the second [...]

Looking to Sunday in China

The Chinese GP has had it’s moments over the past few years but apart from those it hasn’t really produced classic races, this year may be different with so many cars fighting over the top spot and with the track being quite different from the other we’ve had so far we might see a different winner.
The Ferrari’s will want to improve their performance and get back to the front, along with the rest of the teams they will bring upgrades to this circuit so we might see some change in the ordering throughout the field. Red Bull with turn up full of confidence having scored a 1-2 in Malaysia and having won this race last year. The McLarens will arrive hoping that they can get back on terms with the others as they don’t quite seem to have had the pace so far this year. Mercedes will be hoping that [...]