Blog Archive

0

Kubica rues tyre pressure “mistake” for losing DTM points at Assen – DTM

Robert Kubica feels “a mistake” on tyre pressures prevented him scoring a second DTM points finish in a row at a wet Assen circuit on Sunday.

After a nightmare start to his maiden season in the DTM in a customer ART-run BMW M4, Kubica earned his points finish with a 10th place in the first race on Saturday.

He appeared set to replicate that result in a wet race two on Sunday, having qualified a season-best 10th and overtaken WRT Audi’s Harrison Newey to run ninth early on.

The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix winner stopped for fresh wet tyres at the end of the seventh tour, and returned from the pitlane on an empty track.

But unlike fellow BMW driver Sheldon van der Linde, who pitted three laps later to score his maiden DTM win from 14th on the grid, Kubica simply couldn’t show the same pace on fresh wet

… Read More
Automotive
0

Skaife not convinced by Supercars’ “socialist” mixed tyre rules



a car driving on a race track: Skaife not convinced by

© LAT Images
Skaife not convinced by

Supercars great Mark Skaife isn’t convinced by the new mixed compound tyre rules, but admits the “socialist” rules have a place in a 2020 season rocked by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian-based series has been experimental with its tyre regulations since its season resumed in June, trialling two versions of a bank limited to five sets of new rubber – one with both the soft and hard compound Dunlops, and one with only the soft.

The outcome has been a number of surprise results, with 14 of the 24 drivers having bagged podiums, while Jack Le Brocq at Sydney Motorsports Park and Anton De Pasquale at Darwin scored their first career wins in tyre-limited races.

Only in the last two rounds, the second in Darwin and the first in Townsville, has a move to an all-softs bank seen some normality resume with Scott

… Read More
Automotive
0

Norris critical of “stupid” F1 red flag tyre change rule



a group of people riding skis on a snowy surface: Norris critical of

© LAT Images
Norris critical of

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has criticised the “stupid” rule that allows teams to change tyres under a red flag situation.

Norris was running in third place for most of the opening stint of the Monza race, behind Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz Jr.

However for the restart after the red flag he found himself behind Pierre Gasly and Antonio Giovinazzi, who had pitted before the rest of the field, as well as Lance Stroll, who had not stopped.

Stroll was able to take advantage of the rule that allows drivers to change tyres under a red flag, and it meant that he wouldn’t have to make a stop under green flag conditions.

PLUS: The key factors behind a Monza thriller that left the winner speechless

Norris spent the rest of the race following Stroll’s Racing Point on his way to fourth place.

… Read More
Automotive
0

Norris critical of “stupid” F1 red flag tyre change rule – F1

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has criticised the “stupid” rule that allows teams to change tyres under a red flag situation.

Norris was running in third place for most of the opening stint of the Monza race, behind Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz Jr.

However for the restart after the red flag he found himself behind Pierre Gasly and Antonio Giovinazzi, who had pitted before the rest of the field, as well as Lance Stroll, who had not stopped.

Stroll was able to take advantage of the rule that allows drivers to change tyres under a red flag, and it meant that he wouldn’t have to make a stop under green flag conditions.

PLUS: The key factors behind a Monza thriller that left the winner speechless

Norris spent the rest of the race following Stroll’s Racing Point on his way to fourth place.

“The only reason I think I

… Read More
Automotive
0

Pirelli welcomes F1 downforce cuts for 2021 to help tyre company – F1

Pirelli boss Mario Isola says the FIA’s plan to further trim Formula 1’s downforce levels in 2021 to help the tyre company is more a matter of performance than safety.

Pirelli is obliged to provide the same tyres that were used in 2019 for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

With downforce and thus load levels on the tyres expected to increase, it was agreed during the lockdown earlier this year to rein in downforce with revised floor regulations for next season.

However after the problems in Silverstone the FIA has promised a further downforce cut for 2021, with tweaks in a few areas.

The details will be discussed by team technical directors in an FIA technical working group meeting on Friday.

Isola has welcomed the promised changes, but explains that reining in downforce should not be regarded as a safety measure, as Pirelli can always increase pressures to compensate for

… Read More
Automotive
0

Norris: Hard tyre felt like “garbage” in Spanish F1 GP practice – F1

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris says Pirelli’s hard compound tyres felt like “garbage” in Spanish Grand Prix free practice, and felt “like I had more grip on the wets”.

Due to the global COVID-19 crisis, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona was moved form its usual May date to the middle of August, traditionally the hottest period of the year in Catalonia.

To prepare for the extra heat and the fact that the 2020 generation of F1 cars is the fastest in history, Pirelli went conservative with its range of tyres and brought the C1, C2 and C3 compounds to Barcelona.

Those tyres are the same selection used in the British Grand Prix and one step harder than the tyre selection that spiced up last weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

According to Norris, the hardest C1 compound was so hard it was barely useable during Friday practice.

“Garbage. I

… Read More
Automotive
0

Verstappen explains why Red Bull didn’t try contra tyre strategy for Spanish GP – F1

Max Verstappen opted against a contra strategy in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix as he feels the soft tyre will hold up fine for the opening race stint.

Verstappen took a surprise victory last weekend at the 70th Anniversary GP ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas after perfecting his tyre strategy.

The Red Bull driver qualified on the hard tyre and was able to push for a long first stint, while both Hamilton and Bottas struggled after starting on mediums, with their hard stints then being blighted by blistering.

Tyre management is expected to be important once again in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix due to high track temperatures, which neared 50ºC during qualifying.

PLUS: Why F1 may get another Mercedes/Red Bull showdown in Spain

But Red Bull opted to qualify Verstappen on the soft compound tyre in Q2, matching the Mercedes drivers’ strategy, as he took third place

… Read More
Automotive
0

F1 British GP: Hamilton holds on after last lap tyre failure for Silverstone win – F1

Lewis Hamilton survived a dramatic final lap puncture to win Formula 1’s 2020 British Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen, as the same tyre problem dropped Valtteri Bottas to P11.

The Mercedes drivers had looked completely at ease for the majority of the race at Silverstone, which was disrupted twice early on after separate heavy crashes for Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat, but their fortunes were turned around sensationally with just over two laps to go.

Both Hamilton and Bottas had appeared to pick up blisters despite their commanding lead over Verstappen, and Bottas’s left-front tyre failed at the start of lap 50 of 52, which meant he had to tour slowly to the pits and went from second to scoring no points.

Mercedes warned Hamilton not to risk trying to get the fastest lap on the final tour, but as he ran into Luffield for the final time his

… Read More
Automotive
0

Mercedes “unlikely” to have resolved tyre problems despite Spanish GP victory – F1

Mercedes Formula 1 chief strategist James Vowles says that it’s “unlikely” the team has resolved the tyre problems it experienced at Silverstone – despite a strong race in Spain.

After losing out to Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the 70th Anniversary GP, Mercedes undertook what Vowles calls “incredible work” to address its tyre blistering issues before the Barcelona event.

Lewis Hamilton scored a dominant win in Spain with Valtteri Bottas taking third place behind Verstappen, having not suffered tyre issues.

“Clearly following Silverstone, there was a lot of focus on the tyre, the tyre management and the overheating that we experienced during the course of that race, including the blistering,” Shovlin explained in a team video.

“We had but a few days to get on top of this, and clearly you are not going to change the car dramatically between those two events.

“Barcelona is slightly different, it’s a

… Read More
Automotive
0

Binotto: Ferrari’s F1 tyre management down to “strength” of drivers, not car – F1

Ferrari’s strong tyre management in recent races is down to its drivers and not a redeeming quality of its SF1000 Formula 1 car, according to team boss Mattia Binotto.

Sebastian Vettel pulled off a risky one-stop strategy by completing a 36-lap stint on the soft compound tyre to finish seventh in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, getting the jump on a number of two-stopping rivals.

It came one week after team-mate Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix thanks to a one-stop strategy, despite fears for most over tyre wear.

Ferrari has struggled for performance throughout this season with the SF1000 car, causing it to slump to fifth in the constructors’ standings after the opening six races with two podiums scored by Leclerc in the Austrian and British GPs.

But Binotto said the impressive tyre management was a credit to Vettel and Leclerc, and not a particular strength

… Read More
Automotive