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New for the
Spanish Grand Prix is the latest evolution of the Pirelli PZero Silver tyre,
the hardest compound in Pirelli’s range.
The new PZero Silver has the same basic structure and construction as its
predecessor but uses a new compound that reduces degradation and increases
the range by 10 to 25%, depending on a variety of factors such as track
surface, weather conditions, set-up and driving style. The PZero Silver is
designed to represent a bigger step over the PZero Yellow (soft) tyre, which
will also be used in Barcelona this weekend. This combination gives teams
greater scope to make use of more creative race strategies.
THE TRACK
The most critical part of the 4.655-kilometre Montmelo track is Turn Three:
a long right-hander that is notorious for working both the front and rear
left-hand tyres extremely hard. The combined power of KERS and an
830-horsepower engine provide a huge load for the tyres to process, as they
negotiate the corner with a lateral force of 3.9G.
In the middle part of the circuit the drivers reach speeds in excess of
280kph in sixth gear before standing hard on the brakes in preparation for
another well-known corner: Campsa.
The drivers use the kerbs to get round this corner, putting vertical loads
of 800 kilograms through the tyre. Exiting the turn over the kerbing
produces intense vibrations that are absorbed by the tyre carcass. This
filters and reduces what is ultimately transferred to the Formula One car:
underlining the tyre’s crucial role as part of each car’s suspension.
Under braking for La Caixa, the PZero is subjected to a longitudinal
deceleration of 4.85G. A lateral force of 1.8G then pushes the car to the
outside of the corner, working the front-right tyre until the very last
metre of the corner.
By contrast, the final chicane is the slowest part of the circuit. With very
little
downforce, the tyres are the sole source of mechanical grip. In order to
achieve the best traction the tyres must then manage the full power of the
engine as the cars accelerate back up to 300kph in seventh gear on the
start-finish straight: the quickest part of the circuit.
FORMULA ONE AND ROAD CAR TYRES
The 50,000 Formula One tyres that will be produced this year are just a
small fraction of the millions of tyres that Pirelli makes over the course
of a year. One of the latest models at the other end of the scale to the
Formula One PZero is the Pirelli P1, which is designed for small to medium
sized vehicles with an emphasis on green technology.
The P1 is designed to last between 50,000-60,000 kilometres – around 600
times longer than the Formula One tyre – and offers a 30% reduction in road
noise over its predecessor as well as a 25% improvement in rolling
resistance. Like every single one of Pirelli’s tyres, the PZero Silver is
built to perform a specific task.
Pirelli is the acknowledged world leader in Ultra High Performance road car
tyres, which is underlined by the company’s involvement in Formula One. The
PZero name, used in Formula One, actually comes from Pirelli’s range of high
performance road car tyres. The PZero Corsa System is essentially a track
tyre for sports cars, while the PZero is Pirelli’s latest and most
prestigious tyre for high-powered vehicles.
The PZero Rosso ensures the optimum balance between comfort and performance
while the PZero Nero is suited to a wide range of tuned and performance
cars.
PIRELLI’S MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR SAYS
Paul Hembery: “Our new PZero Silver tyre is an evolution of the existing
tyre that should provide an extra five laps or so of running compared to the
previous version, widening the gap between the new hard tyre and the soft.
This will become the definitive hard tyre for the year, providing we see the
results that we are expecting from the race. These are tyres that have been
extensively tested, so I feel confident that they will add another exciting
dimension to the race this weekend – particularly in terms of potential
strategies.” |
