F1 Planning to Return to High Degradation Tyres

It is no secret that there will be a multitude of changes for the 2020 F1 season and beyond. Now, the FIA plan to bring back high levels of tyre degradation. This is a concept that has not been seen since Formula 1 in 2011 and 2012.

According to a tender issued to potential tyre suppliers for F1 between 2020 and 2023, there are targets set for degradation. This includes a soft tyre compound which becomes two seconds per lap slower over 10% of a race distance.

Back in 2011, F1 official tyre supplier Pirelli was asked to produce high degradation tyres. However, they were later requested to produce more durable rubber. But now, company sporting director Mario Isola has said that the new targets will move it closer to the 2011 kind of performances.

“We are analysing the numbers for degradation,” said Isola. “They’re quite high.

“That’s why before replying we are, with the guys in Milan, trying to make some simulations to understand what we achieve with these numbers. They are probably not far from 2011, 2012. We are making the comparisons to understand.”

He also pointed out that the tyre degradation targets can be reached. But, teams can combat too much degradation by instructing drivers to manage their pace.

“Pure degradation [is one thing], a different thing is degradation during the race. Because during the race, the teams have it in all their interests to manage degradation and reduce it without reducing too much the pace in order to achieve the best result. They are in competition, so they have to do that.

“So we need to put on the table all these aspects to understand which is the final result. Because of all these numbers, it’s not very easy to predict that without support from the numbers.”

One example is the Spanish Grand Prix, which saw over three times as many pit stops in 2011.