George Russell was a part of the recently conducted Pirelli tire testing session in Barcelona. Following the session, the Mercedes driver claimed that it would be quite unsafe for the drivers if F1 enforces the tire blanket ban at the moment. However, Pirelli’s Chief Engineer has hit back at Russell and claimed that the driver should change his driving style in accordance with the new tires.
The tire blanket ban essentially means that teams will not be able to use the tire blankets to keep the tires warm before they are put on the car. This would mean that the driver would require more time to bring the tire temperature up into the working window.
The ban on all forms of tire warming blankets was originally set to come in from the 2024 season. However, it was put on hold in February, but there were provisions for Pirelli to recommend the rule change to the FIA following a series of tests.
After the test session in Barcelona, there is another test to be held at Silverstone. Following that, the FIA must take a vote regarding the tire ban before the 31st of July. If the vote does not take place, or if more than 5 teams oppose the ban, then the current tire regulations will be carried over to the 2024 season.
Pirelli responds to skeptical George Russell
Pirelli Chief Engineer Simone Berra has claimed that he is very happy with how the Barcelona test turned out. He claims that the tires are completely safe for racing. Berra explained that the only difference is that the drivers would now need to change their driving style a bit because the tires would take a bit more time to warm up.
When asked by The Race about Russell’s comments, Berra said, “We consider the tire race-safe, otherwise we would not have proposed it for the evaluation,” He explained, “In terms of safety, I don’t see from the data any specific risk.”
Berra then pointed out that one of the major differences with the non-preheated tires is that the drivers would have to be more cautious during their outlaps. And even during the outlap, it is only the first sector where the driver needs to change their approach a bit.
“You need to change the way you are driving in the first lap,” said the Chief Engineer. He explained that if a driver does not protect his tires in the first few corners, they can generate graining, which will hamper the performance of the tire as a whole.
Charles Leclerc is unsure about the new tires as well
Berra acknowledged Russell’s opinions and said that he respects them. However, he claimed that there are bound to be differences in how the new tire behaves compared to the current tires.
After testing the new tires in Spain, George Russell commented that F1 cannot afford to ban tire blankets and introduce new tires in 2024 because of safety reasons. He showed concern for the pit crew and the drivers driving in colder conditions where tire warm-up would be difficult.
🗣️“There will be crashes, I have no doubt about it.”
George Russell believes that #F1 is not ready to run blanket-free Pirelli tyres in 2024 and says he is “concerned” about the safety implications of using them next season ⬇️https://t.co/GiixDMr7yg
— Autosport (@autosport) June 15, 2023
Apart from Russell, Leclerc also participated in the test with his Ferrari. Despite having positive feedback for how the test went, the Monegasque raised questions about the performance of the tires in colder conditions.
“In lower temperatures, I don’t know,” said the Ferrari driver. It is evident that the F1 drivers are not really sure if the new tires would be safe to race on. It is to be seen whether the FIA goes ahead with the vote under these circumstances.
