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“Not as slow as we expected them to be”: New 18-inch Pirelli tyres are expected to make the F1 cars faster by the end of 2022

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Not as slow as we expected them to be": New 18-inch Pirelli tyres are expected to make the F1 cars faster by the end of 2022

The new Pirelli 18-inch tyres will reportedly make the F1 cars faster by the end of 2022, contrary to what was initially predicted. 

The 2021 season is done and dusted. An exciting battle for the Championship between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. The former passed his rival on the race’s final lap to win his first World Championship.

But all that’s in the past. Formula 1 enters a new era from the 2022 season onwards. The sport will undergo a massive regulation change, and the teams have already started working for it.

The main aim of these changes is to improve racing by altering the aerodynamics of an F1 car. ‘Dirty air’ produced by the previous cars made it difficult for others to overtake. The new cars are expected to have a simpler front wing and rear wing that reduces the amount of dirty air produced.

This new change promises better racing and more overtaking opportunities. A budget cap for teams has also been introduced, which they have to comply with.

Also read: Kimi Raikkonen will miss Formula 1 but is looking forward to living a ‘normal’ life

The 2022 F1 cars were originally expected to be 2-3 seconds slower

We have also seen the last of the 13-inch Pirelli tyres in F1. All cars will use new 18-inch tyres made by the Italian manufacturers. These tyres are predicted to last longer and overheat less.

The teams initially thought that the new tyres would slow their cars down by at least 2-3 seconds. During post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, they didn’t show much pace, but it was more than predicted.

According to the teams’ programs and Pirelli’s data, the new cars could reach within 5-tenths of the 2021 cars at the start of the season. Towards the end, they could even be quicker than the current ones.

The likes of Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo, George Russell and new World Champion Verstappen all got a taste of the new tyres during Tuesday’s testing session at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Also read: Red Bull claims F1 needs to rethink after Abu Dhabi GP’s controversial end

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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