Flat tires again after GP Qatar? 'Jeddah more of a novel experience'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
It is the second new circuit on the F1 calendar in a row. After the Qatar Grand Prix, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will take place this weekend. In Qatar, the Pirelli rubber was already struggling, but now the tyre manufacturer seems to fear for Jeddah; it's a brand new circuit with no usable data.
Pirelli seems worried
The tyres struggled in Qatar with the lateral force applied to them. In fact, the Italian manufacturer calls the weekend in Qatar the toughest one for the tyres in that area. In the preview from Pirelli, the brand seems to be slightly worried about the upcoming race at the Jeddah Corniche circuit.
The pressure that will be put on the tyres in Jeddah is different to Qatar, according to Pirelli. Still, they expressed concern by reporting that Qatar is one of the toughest circuits, but Jeddah is an even more novel experience. The track has only just been completed and there is little usable data.
Isola explains choice
Pirelli will choose the middle section of available rubber. This means that F1 teams can choose from the C2, C3, and C4 tyres. Pirelli chief Mario Isola explains: “Jeddah is probably the biggest unknown we face all year, as with the track being completed very close to the race. As a result, we can only rely on simulations from F1 and the teams, along with other information we’ve collected, to come up with our nomination."
"This street circuit looks set to be quite different to anything else, and the high speeds with fast corners will obviously play a big part in the way that the tyres behave. Jeddah has more corners than any other track on the calendar, and one of them – Turn 13 – also has 12-degree banking, so there are plenty of different elements that will keep the tyres working hard.”