Pirelli introduced additional checks after the first day at Lusail. During Friday's practice sessions, deep cuts were found in several tyres. Inspections showed that the damage occurred on tyres on all four corners. There were no immediate tyre failures, but the supplier is on alert.<\/p>\n
This problem is related to new and extended gravel strips on the circuit. Strips have been added at turns 6, 10 and 16. The strip at turn 14 has been extended and now starts earlier. Cars that drift wide drag loose gravel onto the asphalt. That gravel ends up on the track and on the kerbstones.<\/p>\n
Pirelli's chief engineer Simone Berra says that the gravel is relatively sharp. It is not rounded off. As a result, it tends to cut into the rubber. Some sets were damaged down to the tyre structure, but the cords remained intact. If the structure is continuously exposed, a puncture may occur.<\/p>\n
Pirelli and the FIA are monitoring the situation closely. If further damage occurs, they can intervene immediately. Possible measures include deploying a safety car or even a red flag to remove the gravel. For now, there is no immediate cause for panic, but the warning remains in place.<\/p>\n
Tyre life is already limited in this race. Pirelli is applying a maximum of 25 laps per set of tyres this weekend. That makes strategies sensitive. Teams now have to take into account both wear and tear and the risk of cuts from gravel.<\/p>\n
In summary: Pirelli is increasing vigilance. Teams must adjust their strategies. The FIA may actively intervene if the gravel continues to cause problems. For the time being, there are no immediate tyre failures, but the risk remains during sprints and races.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Increased monitoring after discovery of cuts Pirelli has introduced additional checks after the first day at Lusail. During Friday's practice sessions, deep cuts were found in several tyres. Inspections showed that the damage occurred on tyres on all four corners. There were no immediate tyre failures, but the supplier is on alert. New gravel strips appear to [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":158616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2274],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-formule-1"],"yoast_head":"\n