Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc feels that the new 18 inch Pirelli tyres will make the 2022 Formula 1 cars very different to drive.
Now that the 2021 season is officially over, all F1 teams and drivers have shifted their focus to the regulation changes of 2022. The main aim of these changes are to bring the cars on grid closer to each other in terms of performance. In addition to the aerodynamic alterations, all cars will be using new 18 inch Pirelli tyres next season onwards.
After the season finale in Abu Dhabi last year, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc completed 87 laps of the Yas Marina Circuit on these new tyres.
Last laps of 2021 done !
Now off to Maranello for a few days to keep working on 2022, then time to recharge for the new year. pic.twitter.com/LMsMofPLWG— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) December 14, 2021
The cars used in the post-season testing were dummy cars, but Leclerc said that it made the car feel quite different. He anticipates a more difficult adjustment for all drivers when they are fitted in the 2022 cars.
“It’s quite a bit different. This one is basically adapted to fit those bigger tyres on. But apart from that it’s the 2019 car.” said Leclerc.
“So it’s going to be big time different. But I think we’ll only know once we put the real 2022 car on track. And do the correlation from the simulator to reality. ”
Also read: Lando Norris backs Ferrari to consistently challenge for race wins in 2022
Adjusting to the new cars will be tricky, says Charles Leclerc
All the drivers on grid are used to the 13 inch tyres which have been a part of F1 for a long time. The new tyre compounds feature a smaller sidewall, which will make adjusting to the tyres very tricky according to Leclerc.
“It makes it quite tricky. It’s challenging for us drivers. And I think it will be more challenging next year to drive those cars.” the 24-year old continued.
“Overall, it probably has a bit of a bigger window to work. Especially in cold conditions, it feels quite good.”
“But it’s also quite tricky when you lose the car in the high-speed corners especially.”
Leclerc’s comments are contrary to what Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas said about the 2022 cars. The former Mercedes driver feels that the newer cars are not very different to it’s predecessors.
The only difference highlighted by the Finn was the lower downforce these cars seem to produce.
Also read: FIA seek to avoid a repeat of the Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen controversy in 2022
