Ferrari’s shock double Q2 exit on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix left it as the largest sufferer of probably the most unpredictable and fascinating qualifying sessions Components 1 has delivered shortly.
The curveball of the medium tyre rising as the higher tyre over a single lap at Imola in comparison with the all-new ultra-aggressive C6 opened the door for Aston Martin to tug the rug from beneath Ferrari’s toes and dump it out early.
With Aston Martin having locked in utilizing mediums for its closing qualifying efforts on Friday evening because it picked its units, there was no scope for rivals to reply in time – with solely Mercedes’ George Russell electing to roll the cube and expend some laps of his race tyres late in Q3.
However whereas hindsight supplies the 20/20 reply of what the perfect route was for grid positions, many groups have been caught out by how issues performed out – and even Pirelli had no rationalization for it.
For on Friday evening, as Aston Martin dedicated to a technique that helped Fernando Alonso to fifth and Lance Stroll eighth on the grid and would lead to Ferrari licking its wounds, the consensus elsewhere within the pitlane had been that the comfortable C6 compound was not doing anything strange.
The C6 had proved to be 0.3-0.5s seconds faster than the medium over a single lap and appeared nailed on to be the only option for qualifying.
However, on Saturday morning, as groups bolted on their C6s for the tip of session quali sims in closing follow, the truth that the vehicles weren’t robotically quicker than the mediums set some alarm bells ringing.
As McLaren staff boss Andrea Stella stated: “After Friday we have been reassured that the C6 appeared to be a aggressive tyre for qualifying, and we might subsequently go for an allocation of 4 softs, one medium and two hards, somewhat than retaining two medium tyres.
“However opponents, but additionally ourself, the drivers stored saying that the perfect automotive that they had [on Saturday] was the primary run in FP3 on medium tyres.
“After which since we used the comfortable tyres, the stability fell somewhat bit aside. I believe we’re not the one ones struggling this type of situation.”
From Pirelli’s perspective, the impression from the surface was that issues had modified on Saturday. Drivers usually complained extra of understeer and the C6 was not delivering the step ahead it had the day earlier than.
However there was a component of thriller about why it didn’t carry out as properly on Saturday as Friday.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola stated: “It’s not clear why they have been complaining about this extra understeer in comparison with yesterday, as a result of there aren’t any components to assist this.
“We did not have any rain in a single day or something unusual, however the observe appeared to be slower in comparison with yesterday, and everybody on the whole, as a mean, we had this remark of extra understeer in comparison with yesterday. Yesterday, the limitation was the rear. As we speak, it appears that evidently was extra the entrance.”
Nevertheless, diving extra into what occurred, the issue that labored most in opposition to the C6 was not that its softness meant it overheated an excessive amount of so fell out of the working window on the finish of the lap – however extra that its softness meant it moved round an excessive amount of and sapped drivers’ confidence.
As Stella added: “The load on the tyres in Imola with these heavy and super-fast vehicles implies that, even when the tyre provides somewhat bit of additional grip, it strikes as a result of it is simply too comfortable.”
The C6 had initially been meant to be used at low power road tracks corresponding to Monaco, not venues corresponding to Imola that options a number of high-speed corners that may produce peak forces of 5G.
So when drivers are pushing on the restrict and want confidence in what the automotive is doing, any further motion triggered by the comfortable compound could be a issue.
Pole place man Oscar Piastri reckoned that this dealing with quirk of the C6 was one thing that had solely acquired uncovered by drivers pushing extra to the sting on Saturday.
“I believe it is simply us all going quicker,” he stated. “Dropping the gas, growing the engine modes, pushing tougher. You most likely do not discover the bounds of the tyre or overheat it as a lot [on Friday].
“However I believe once you begin to push issues even additional, the tyres ultimately simply gave up. They have been struggling yesterday already, however as we speak I believe the C5 was quicker than the C6, most likely, or it actually felt nicer.
“So, I believe once you push it even additional, you simply expose the weak point of the tyre much more.”
The factor of this being in regards to the really feel of the C6 somewhat than it overheating and degrading over the lap is backed up by timing information – which reveals that there was not a big shift because the lap went on
Evaluating Russell’s sector instances on his Q3 comfortable and medium rums, even taking into consideration the time he misplaced in sector one as the results of making a niche to Carlos Sainz on his closing preparation lap, it reveals that the positive factors didn’t improve in the direction of the tip of the lap.
S1 S2 S3
NEW SOFT 23.674s 26.046s 25.319s
NEW MEDIUM 23.791s 25.815s 25.201s
A query of self-discipline?
With the advantage of hindsight, different groups could properly have wished to go the medium tyre route – however that may have wanted locking in earlier than FP3 when groups wanted to decide to their units for qualifying and the race.
Aston Martin had made the decision in operating the hards throughout closing follow, to have some freedom to make use of an additional medium in qualifying.
And, as Aston Martin staff principal Andy Cowell revealed, having been instructed on Friday evening by its tyre guru Jan Matsuzaki in regards to the medium being a greater one-lap tyre, its chief trackside officer Mike Krack nailed its flag to the mast earlier than qualifying acquired underway.
Cowell instructed The Race: “It felt like the proper factor to do. No one was arguing in opposition to it.
“Mike Krack managed it rather well. He was very clear within the debrief after FP3, we have to make all the choices now about what we’re doing in qualifying, as a result of within the warmth of a qualifying session, it turns right into a frantic, garbled mess on the pit wall. So he acquired it arrange fantastically.
“He stated that is Plan A, if this occurs, then we step to Plan B. And I assume the one level the place maybe it wasn’t so slick was truly in Q3 we have been all maybe somewhat bit shocked, and so we hadn’t polished that plan fairly as clearly.
“However Jan, the tyre engineer, had prioritised the three tyres when it comes to efficiency, and that gave us the course going into Q3 so pleasing to see.”
Key now although can be whether or not those who went for the medium tyre route – corresponding to Aston Martin and Mercedes – have compromised their races in utilizing up some mileage on their race set mediums.
It was this issue that Sainz, who had topped Q2 on the C6 however begins sixth, stated counted in opposition to Williams gunning for the medium within the closing shootout for grid spots.
“We knew the medium was one or two tenths faster,” he stated. “However as a staff, we took the choice to remain disciplined, not use the one or two tenths faster as we speak in quali to have the brand new tyre tomorrow.
“Everybody that used it as we speak must begin with a used tyre tomorrow. We are going to see what it pays off, whether or not the final tenth or two in quali, or having one or two tenths of race tempo, as a result of the tyre is new.”
