10 Issues Facing Tyre Manufacturer Pirelli Heading into 2015
Pirelli went under the radar during the 2014 Formula One season, with the change of approach resulting in their strongest campaign since their arrival as the sport's sole tyre manufacturer.
Unlike 2011, '12 and '13, when tyres were often the main story of a given race weekend, the rubber adopted a more understated role last season, which led to a greater emphasis on the things that really matter in F1: the racing, the title battle and its accompanying subplots.
In an ideal world, it would remain that way in 2015, but this year will present a number of issues and concerns for the Italian manufacturer.
Here are 10 things that Pirelli should address this season with thanks going to my colleague, Neil James, for his input on this article.
Moving with the Regulations
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Much of Pirelli's 2014 success was down to the effect of the new-spec power units, which produce more torque than the previous V8 engines and meant that cars had more power than grip.
To compensate for this—and to give teams one less headache—Pirelli hardened each of their compounds for 2014, with the result almost universally applauded.
There were still multiple pit stops, of course, but races were no longer reduced to those dreaded tyre conservation exercises.
However, with teams—now with a greater understanding of the power trains—almost certain to find more downforce for 2015, the second season of the new regulations, the onus is on Pirelli to deliver a set of tyre compounds to counteract this effect.
The challenge of hitting a moving target should not be underestimated, but the pressure of getting it right will either make or break Pirelli's 2015 season.
Listening to What Fans Really Want
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As we mentioned, Pirelli's 2014 efforts were praised by the vast majority of onlookers—except, it seems, those who offered their feedback directly to the manufacturer.
Speaking to Sky Sports' William Esler, motorsport director Paul Hembery made the bizarre claim that "people said we were a little bit too conservative and maybe a little bit boring" in 2014, which is likely to encourage Pirelli to become more aggressive this year.
Hembery's comment underlined the distance between the general fan and those within Formula One's inner circle, such as Bernie Ecclestone, whose ideas to improve "the show" often end up doing anything but.
Rather than absorbing the opinions of fools trapped inside the bubble of the most self-critical of sports, Hembery would be well advised to seek the thoughts of the fans, who tend to have a clearer idea of what fans want to see.
Working Around the in-Season Testing Limit
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Formula One held three in-season test sessions in 2014, with two days set aside for experimental running after the Bahrain, Spanish and British grands prix. A similar test also took place after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Not only did the extra running come to the aid of teams in terms of car development, it helped Pirelli gain a greater understanding of their rubber, with each outfit forced to dedicate an entire day of testing to help the organisation's tyre development work.
The tests also gave Pirelli the freedom to experiment, with a set of 18-inch tyres fitted to the Lotus E22 during the Silverstone test in July.
Pirelli will not be treated to the same luxury in 2015, though. Autosport's Jonathan Noble has reported that only two in-season tests will occur this year, taking place in the days following the races in Spain and Austria.
Hembery has already bemoaned the move, telling Sky Sports that the testing reduction is "a shame," and it will be interesting to see how Pirelli combat the lack of extra running.
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Obtaining a New-Spec F1 Car for Private Testing
4 of 10In the V8 era, Pirelli had the advantage of having their own test car, which would be used for private running.
Upon their arrival in F1, the manufacturer used the unraced Toyota TF110—the car that was left behind when the Japanese team withdrew from the sport at the end of 2009—before replacing it with the Renault R30, driven to three podium finishes by Robert Kubica in 2010, from 2012.
The switch to the vastly different V6 turbo engines in 2014, however, has rendered any running with the previous-spec cars meaningless.
Hembery told Sky Sports that "the only work we do (now) is virtual via simulators," which is far from ideal when tyres are the only area of a racing car that come into direct contact with the track.
Although it is unclear just how Pirelli would—or even whether it would be allowed to under the regulations—get their hands on a new-spec F1 car, it should rank high among the tyre company's list of priorities.
If Pirelli are permitted to run with up-to-date machinery, hunting down the buyer of the auctioned 2015 Marussia car, or taking advantage of Caterham's fall by purchasing the team's 2014 machine, could be potential options.
Producing Satisfactory Wet Compounds
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In the aftermath of Jules Bianchi's life-threatening accident at Suzuka, Pirelli's wet tyres came under scrutiny as world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel told BBC Sport's Andrew Benson that the full wet compound was unsuitable.
The latter explained that "an extremely narrow (operating) window" led to drivers taking the risk of switching to the faster intermediate tyres earlier than they would prefer, which created obvious safety hazards in heavy rain.
Pirelli came under the spotlight again when the FIA Accident Panel employed to examine the circumstances surrounding Bianchi's accident declared: "It is recommended that provision is made for the tyre supplier to develop and adequately test wet weather tyres between each F1 season."
Since Pirelli arrived in F1 in 2011, only seven of a possible 77 races have been truly affected by rain, which has almost certainly prevented both the tyre manufacturer and teams from getting to grips with the unique demands of wet conditions.
Hembery, to his credit, has told Autosport's Jonathan Noble that he is eager for a wet weather test to take place and it is a must if F1 is to learn from Bianchi's crash.
Bringing the Correct Compounds to Sochi
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The only notable blot on Pirelli's 2014 copybook was their decision to take the soft and medium compounds to the Sochi Autodrom, which made the inaugural Russian Grand Prix the dullest race of the season.
The presence of softs and mediums last year allowed Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, who flat-spotted his fronts at the first corner, to pit and complete 52 laps on a single set of tyres—an unprecedented feat in the "Pirelli era" of extreme wear and degradation.
Most drivers required just a single pit stop to make it to the chequered flag in Russia, but you'd trust Pirelli to make up for the 2014 event by spicing up this year's race.
Getting It Right in Mexico
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Just like Russia in 2014, the Mexican Grand Prix will be the new race on the 2015 schedule.
The country last hosted a race in 1992, and with Ferrari recently attracting a host of Mexican sponsors, and with home favourite Sergio Perez representing Force India—who will launch their 2015 car in Mexico City later in January—Formula One simply must impress from the outset.
The Mexican GP has the potential to become a hugely important event to the sport, and Pirelli must be smarter in selecting compounds for the race's grand return than they were for the Sochi Autodrom's debut.
Avoiding a Repeat of Silverstone 2013
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It may have been over 18 months ago, but the events of the 2013 British Grand Prix probably still give Hembery sleepless nights.
On that June afternoon at Silverstone, Formula One came close to its biggest rubber-related disaster since the 2005 United States Grand Prix—which saw just six cars start at Indianapolis—as several drivers suffered tyre explosions.
Lewis Hamilton lost the lead of the race when his tyre failed on the Wellington Straight, while fellow world champions Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso were forced to take avoiding action on the high-speed Hangar Straight in separate incidents.
It was hugely embarrassing for Pirelli, and the company was then forced to make adjustments to their tyre constructions.
Although a repeat is highly unlikely, it remains the ultimate worst-case scenario.
Dealing with Inevitable Criticism
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It has become fashionable for Formula One folk to criticise Pirelli, no matter what they do.
From Michael Schumacher telling the Press Association (h/t the Guardian) that he and his fellow competitors "drive like on raw eggs," to Felipe Massa telling Auto Motor und Sport (h/t motorsport.com) that compound choices are "completely unacceptable," Pirelli has had to take a lot of flak since 2011.
With some paddock figures often queuing up to publicly condemn the tyre manufacturer's every move, it is perhaps no surprise that Pirelli have never been able to get it absolutely right in F1.
Accepting that they will never please everyone is the best response Pirelli can make to the critics.
Beginning Preparations for Possible 1,000 BHP Engines
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Last week, Autosport's Jonathan Noble reported that Formula One was evaluating the possibility of introducing 1,000 horsepower turbo cars in the coming years in a bid to make the sport more spectacular.
Although any changes, according to Noble, would primarily focus on alterations to fuel restrictions and rev limits, they would force Pirelli to produce a brand new set of tyres to provide a balance to the increased power.
Noble has noted that the changes are "unlikely" to come into effect until 2017, but it would not harm Pirelli to get a head start to ensure that the transition would be a seamless one.
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