With the 2025 F1 season slowly approaching its last leg, F1Technical’s senior author Balazs Szabo explains the distinction between the 2 forms of tyre degradation: overheating and thermal degradation.
Pirelli has been the only tyre provider in Formulation One since 2011 following Bridgestone’s determination to withdraw from the position on the finish of the 2010 season.
The Italian producer beforehand competed in Formulation One from 1950 to 1958, 1981–1986 and 1989–1991. Along with his position in Formulation One as sole tyre provider, Pirelli additionally provides tyres for the FIA Formulation 2 Championship, FIA Formulation 3 Championship and F1 Academy, that type the feeder collection to Formulation One.
What does degradation imply?
Explaining the 2 forms of degradation, Pirelli revealed: “One which impacts the tyre floor and the opposite that impacts the chemical bonding of the supplies that make up the tread.
“The primary, which we merely name overheating, is generated when the tyre floor slides excessively on the observe. On this case, the floor temperature will increase and the tyre loses grip. The phenomenon could be reversed by a change of driving model or if the climate situations change.”
As for thermal degradation, that happens when the quantity of vitality exerted on the tyre is excessive sufficient to generate warmth able to altering the chemical bonds of the tread and on this case, the lack of grip is irreversible.
Nevertheless, these two phenomena are usually not fully unbiased of each other. Each forms of degradation result in a lack of tyre efficiency and if a driver sees his is bigger than that skilled by different drivers shut by, then it could be time to vary tyres for a brand new or part-worn set.
The unique set has come to the tip of its efficiency life when it comes to what number of laps it might run earlier than it ought to be modified because the tyres can not ship a aggressive stage of efficiency.
Tyre engineers additionally use the expression of “put on life” which is the utmost variety of laps {that a} tyre can cowl earlier than the tread floor has utterly worn away.
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