REPORTS: F1 Teams in a State of Conflict as Tire Blanket Ban on FIA’s Agenda
Follow Us
With the ongoing Formula One season reaching its final few races, all eyes are starting to move towards the coming seasons in the sport. One of the topics of discussion in the future of F1 revolves around the use of tire blankets.
While the sports looks to get rid of them, several teams are against the move. Hence, a meeting will take place in London regarding the future of tire blankets on Wednesday, October 13.
What is the proposal for new F1 regulations around tire blankets?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Initially, they wanted to eradicate the use of tire blankets immediately from the 2022 season. However, with new technical regulations coming in, various teams have already placed orders for new sets of 18-inch wheel tires which will be a part from next year.
Hence, F1 looks to put a plan in place which makes everyone happy. With the aim of eliminating tire blankets from the sport completely by 2024, teams will follow a set of procedures in the coming seasons to gradually reach that point.
Trending
Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”
April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT
Adrian Newey Hits Out at Climate Activist Lewis Hamilton’s Fuel Protest, Desperate to See V10 Engines Again
April 15, 2024 12:35 PM EDT
Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department Sends F1 Fans Into a Frenzy: “Its a Fernando Reference”
April 19, 2024 09:43 AM EDT
Who are Zhou Guanyu’s Parents? Everything We Know About The Chinese Driver’s Family
April 16, 2024 02:07 PM EDT
Max Verstappen “On Ice” as Return to China Goes Badly for Christian Horner and Co
April 19, 2024 10:58 AM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
According to Auto Motor und Sport, each team will use only 20 blankets instead of 40 from next season. In addition, intermediate and wet weather tires will not undergo preheating to stick to this limit.
Currently, teams can preheat tires up to a maximum temperature of 90 degrees Celsius. In 2022, this will decrease to 70 degrees, while the 2023 season will see it drop further to 50 degrees. From the 2024 season and beyond, teams cannot preheat their tires anymore.
Tire Scraping in F1: What Is It & Why Is It Done?
Why are these changes being considered?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
One of the aspects behind F1’s decision to do so is cost cutting. While a cost cap is already in place to even the budget across all teams, they believe this could help other teams save some valuable money. A racing team spends around 280,000 euros for 40 sets of blankets, which could be money well spent elsewhere.
However, various F1 teams believe the Pirelli compounds in use need preheating for prolonged use. F1 tires need preheating in order to reduce wear during races and avoiding chances of a puncture which could not only end a race, but potentially produce millions in damages.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Tomorrow’s meeting in London becomes all the more crucial in this aspect. This is because it could decide a critical part in the future of the sport as it looks to evolve.
WATCH STORY: How Fast Can F1 Cars Go? Comparisons With MotoGP, IndyCAR, NASCAR and Formula E