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The Nurburgring
is a legendary name in motorsport, now represented by a modern track with a
wide range of different speeds and corners. In the past, the Nurburgring has
been successful territory for Pirelli with several class wins at the 24-hour
race, which uses both the grand prix circuit and the epic Nordschleife. The
60-lap grand prix will be a different challenge, particularly with uncertain
weather predicted for the weekend.
THE TRACK
The first area of heavy braking is into the complex, following the
start-finish straight. The tyre absorbs all the energy from the braking
process. Under acceleration out of the tight first corner, the back of the
car can step out, placing heavy demands on the rear tyres – as they need to
guarantee a combination of grip and traction on one of the most technical
parts of the circuit that is key to a fast lap time.
Out of the complex the drivers accelerate through the gears before another
area of heavy braking to turns five and six: two downhill corners to the
left and to the right that rob the car of grip at the front. The driver then
has to look for grip on the external kerb, making the most of it as he goes
through the corner.
Going into turn seven a sharp deceleration produces 5G of longitudinal force
that transmits plenty of energy to the tyres. The front-left works at a high
slip angle in order to compensate for the unusual camber of the circuit,
ensuring the maximum precision and reducing the effects of understeer.
In the final part of the circuit, which is very fast, the drivers use KERS
to unlock the maximum power from the engine and reach a top speed of 300kph.
A key point is the NGK chicane: there is a good opportunity for overtaking
into the braking zone before the chicane, then the driver has to use the
kerbing. The impact puts a lot of energy into the shoulders of the tyre,
which stresses the carcass through a load equivalent to more than 800
kilogram's in a very small area.
The final right-hand corner, turn 15, is very long. Once more the driver
uses the kerbing on the exit of the corner before putting the power down for
the start-finish straight. The other corners are generally medium speed,
meaning that it is a circuit that flows nicely, with only three instances of
heavy braking. As Pirelli’s test driver Lucas di Grassi explains: “There are
a lot of corners in sequence where if you get one bit wrong, then you
compromise the whole sequence. So you have to be very neat, precise and
tidy. If
you do this, you will not only be quick, but you will look after the tyres
as well. The key to the set-up is to have a car that has a good change in
direction.”
NICK HEIDFELD VISITS PIRELLI MEDIA FUNCTION IN GERMANY
Lotus Renault driver Nick Heidfeld was Pirelli’s star guest at a pre-event
press lunch for German media at the Dorint Hotel next to the Nurburgring
today, hosted by Pirelli Germany managing director Michael Schwobel and
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery.
Heidfeld, who was Pirelli’s original test driver before moving to a race
drive at Sauber and then Lotus Renault commented: “Bearing in mind the short
amount of time that Pirelli had to develop the tyres, the job that was done
was amazing. But I have to say that I always had every confidence that this
would be the case.”
Heidfeld carried out all the initial running with the Pirelli P Zero tyres
last year, giving them their debut in August 2010 at the Italian circuit of
Mugello. He concentrated mostly on testing the construction of the tyres,
before beginning the work on the compounds.
Heidfeld also confirmed that the new generation of Pirelli P Zero tyres was
as much fun to drive as they are for the spectators to watch. “The spectacle
has definitely improved this year,” he said. “There is more overtaking and
that is a lot of fun for every driver. I think it’s great.”
A 3D video was shown to the audience, with a lap of the Nurburgring
commented on by Heidfeld. The German driver knows the circuit well, having
claimed pole and finished second in 2005. |
