Pirelli: Baku straight could cause tyre failures
Pirelli boss Paul Hembery is concerned the long straights at this weekend’s European Grand Prix in Baku could cause a standing wave issue that potentially can lead to a complete tyre failure in extreme circumstances.
Standing waves have been an issue with Formula One tyres before, most notably Michelin suffered standing wave issues during the 2005 US Grand Prix where all 14 cars using their tyres were forced to retire following the formation lap before the race started.
YouTube: The strangest start ever – Indianapolis 2005
The issue was once again brought to the surface at last season’s Belgian Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel suffered a tyre failure which many put down to the same problem.
This led the FIA and Pirelli to enforce stricter guidelines and monitoring of tyre pressures and temperatures.
Baku will feature the longest straight on the Formula One calendar, from the high-speed kinks at Turns 17-20 and back to the pits will be a new challenge for Pirelli to manage throughout the weekend.
“Long straights can create standing wave issues,” Hembery told Motorsport.com.
“It seems to be a circuit that shouldn’t be too dramatic, but it has that straight, so we have to be very careful on that in terms of what’s going on with the standing wave management.
“If you go to a new circuit, it can throw up some surprises. The tendency to new circuits in recent years is smooth surfaces with very low levels of wear, but there is quite an aggressive straight and standing wave is something we have to manage, so there is an aspect of tyre integrity that we have to monitor well.”
Pirelli will take the supersoft, soft and medium compound tyres to Baku for this weekend’s race with the majority of teams heavily favouring the red-striped tyres on what is expected to be a typically dusty street circuit.