“The big wheels worsen the view to the front even more”– Sebastian Vettel gives honest review of 18-inch Pirelli tyres after recent test

Tanish Chachra | 17/08/2021
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“The big wheels worsen the view to the front even more”– Sebastian Vettel reviews the new 18-inch tyres, which will be used from next year.

While the 2021 season is going on, every team is taking the rare opportunities to test the 18-inch tyres, which will be utilized from next year onwards.

Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel got his chance to loosen those tyres in Silverstone, and the German had an opportunity to give honest feedback on the tyres.

For him, the tyres can run on longer distances without overheating, are more comfortable at the curbs and offer more grip in medium-slow corners.

“You can drive longer at the limit with these tires without overheating. They are more comfortable over the curbs and offer more grip in slow and medium-fast corners. I felt faster in these sections than with conventional tires,” said Vettel (translated by Google).

Problematic for vision

Vettel also remarked on a few drawbacks of the tyres and claimed that there are some vision problems in the car at the front side, and it is tough to spot curbs.

“The big wheels worsen the view to the front even more. All the mirror mounts are in the way. The best thing was when the mirrors were attached to the Halo,” said Vettel. “With the covers and the large wheels you can no longer see the curbs.”

This means the view will be made even more difficult for the drivers with the new regulations, as The regulations stipulate guide plates on the wheel carriers of the front axle that protrude over the wheels, worsening the vision even more.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how other drivers react to the new tyres, and will it cause amendments if they match with Vettel’s judgement after the test; also, the overall review by Vettel signals interesting changes in usual tyre strategies.

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Aston Martin Sebastian Vettel

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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