The 2021 F1 season had so much to offer for the fans, from mere off-track banters, to championship rivalry that went down the wire to the very final lap of the season. And this was the case with only two teams absolutely dominating and making the rest of the grid look far more inferior than the previous years.

However, 2022 is already hyping up to deliver the best Formula 1 season yet, with cars set to bunch up even closer, thanks to the major aero tweaks. Interestingly, the body of the car isn’t the only thing that will witness a makeover. Along with the design, Pirelli’s highly anticipated 18-inch tires are also ready to make their debut.

18-inch Pirelli F1 tires set to cause more troubles?

During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, a few teams had the opportunity to collaborate with Pirelli over private tests in a bid to understand the nature of the massive tires.

Following the sessions, there was a consensus in the drivers, with many reckoning the tires were going to make life harder for them during its debut campaign in 2022. Most of their concerns revolved around tire management and most importantly, lack of grip.

Well, Mick Schumacher is the latest to join the long list of anxious Formula 1 drivers.

What did Mick Schumacher say?

Following the 2021 title showdown in Abu Dhabi, F1 hosted the young driver test where quite a few drivers had the opportunity to drive their respective cars with the newly designed 18-inch tires underneath. Schumacher, who was part of the test at Yas Marina, affirmed that the tires are certainly complex.

According to Motorsport, the German opined that the 2022 season might witness an unusually high number of tire lock-ups.

“The new tires are very heavy compared to the old ones. You can feel it in the corners. It was not easy to avoid locking the front tires during the test. I think next season we will see a lot of smoke coming out from under the wheels. My guess is that,” he said.

Overall, it already looked like we could be in for yet another exhilarating season in 2022. So, will the 18-inch tires fuel more excitement into it?

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