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F1 races in 2022 could see more one-stop strategy races, according to official tire supplier Pirelli.
The news has been confirmed by Pirelli boss Mario Isola. The Italian tire manufacturer has been working in tandem with all F1 teams to gather data ahead of the 2022 season.
With cars set to adopt new 18-inch wheels for the upcoming season of F1, the onus is on Pirelli to make the new low-profile tires apt for the wheels.
Speaking in an interview with Tire Technology International, Isola had this to say:
“We are expecting a performance that is in line with the current tires, but the car is different, the downforce is different and maybe we will have a small difference in performance.”
Isola then went on to add:
“I’m expecting most of the races will be one-stop, simply because if you have less degradation there is no reason to have more than one stop. If we have really close racing and we have action on track, who cares about the pit stops?”
Pirelli only has test data from mule cars for the tires they plan to introduce in the upcoming season. Mule cars are older variants of F1 cars with slight changes and updated liveries. They will gather more information when F1's pre-season testing rolls around in February.
F1 tire reliability important for Pirelli in 2022
Many F1 teams have complained about Pirelli's tire durability in seasons past as well. Ferrari suffered double tire failures in 2017. Most famously, Mercedes suffered punctures in both their cars at the 2020 British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton became infamous for crossing the finish line on only three wheels to win at Silverstone.
Max Verstappen was on course to win the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix before a rear tire failure sent him crashing into the wall in the pit straight.
These instances and more have compelled Pirelli to rethink its tires. They are also working in partnership with F1 to reduce tire vibrations in high-speed situations as well. This is something that makes cars unstable for drivers and will be a major boost for them going forward.
Pirelli hopes the newer generation of tires will mitigate these instances going forward.
