The post-season testing session on the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi marks Method 1’s remaining day on monitor in 2024. Past giving younger drivers the chance to hit the monitor and acquire some expertise, this check supplies groups and Pirelli with a wonderful alternative to assemble helpful knowledge and insights on subsequent season’s Pirelli tires.
Whereas one automotive is devoted to rookies or drivers primarily working in simulators in the course of the season, utilizing 2024 tires, the opposite automotive is already fitted with 2025 tires. For groups, this can be a nice likelihood to gather essential knowledge on subsequent yr’s tires, which embody a wider vary of compounds past these examined just a few weeks in the past in Mexico.
In Mexico Metropolis, groups participated in a session in the course of the second free observe session solely centered on knowledge assortment for Pirelli, testing a single compound sort in its 2024 and 2025 variations. For instance, some groups had been restricted to the C4 compound in each variations for comparability, whereas others examined C3, C5, or C6.
Moreover, as per Pirelli’s request, no setup modifications had been allowed that would skew the info. Whereas this made the insights necessary, they had been additionally restricted. Furthermore, the compounds examined throughout that session weren’t but the homologated variations for the next yr.
In distinction, in Abu Dhabi, groups had larger freedom in utilizing the tires. They weren’t restricted to a single compound however had entry to a broader vary of choices. Groups had 5 totally different compounds, from C2 to C6, with the latter being the brand new addition for 2025.
Nonetheless, groups had restricted units of C2 and C6 tires since these compounds weren’t significantly appropriate for this monitor: the previous is just too onerous and struggles to supply enough grip, whereas the latter is just too smooth and can’t final a full lap, as seen in Mexico Metropolis. Nonetheless, the Italian producer wished to present groups the chance to assemble some knowledge and keep away from beginning the 2025 exams with none reference factors. Simone Berra, Pirelli’s F1 Chief Engineer, said that the corporate aimed to supply groups with the chance to run and collect knowledge on the C2 and C6 compounds. Nonetheless, he indicated that groups had been anticipated to focus extra on the C3, thought-about the baseline compound, in addition to the C4 and C5.
In a Method 1 season that, as proven this yr, has been extremely depending on groups’ means to optimize tire utilization for each single laps and race stints, these exams supply a helpful alternative to enhance predictive fashions and collect new knowledge for simulators in the course of the winter break. Past modifications to the compounds themselves, Pirelli has additionally modified the tire constructions to deal with the a great deal of the 2025 automobiles, making each piece of knowledge important for getting ready for the upcoming season.
Simone Berra emphasised the significance of the exams, noting that they supply groups with their first alternative to make use of the brand new homologated tires. He defined that this additionally marks the preliminary likelihood to gather knowledge, which might be analyzed to refine simulations and fashions for the next yr’s automotive.
For Pirelli, too, this check day is a superb likelihood to achieve a clearer understanding of the potential tire efficiency for subsequent yr. Through the season, the Italian producer performed a number of check periods with groups and trialed totally different compounds and constructions. To provide an thought, in the course of the Suzuka check after the Japanese GP, 12 totally different tires had been examined.
Subsequently, past the references obtained within the latter a part of the season and in the course of the observe session in Mexico, the post-season Abu Dhabi session additionally represents a fantastic alternative for Pirelli to have a clearer image of efficiency variations throughout compounds for single laps.
Simone Berra highlighted the importance of the check, noting that regardless of conducting exams all through the season and experimenting with varied constructions and compounds, there had been restricted alternatives to completely consider efficiency variations in lap instances between the totally different compounds.
That is significantly vital for the softer compounds, as Pirelli might think about skipping compounds in particular conditions—an idea that has by no means been absolutely deserted. Pirelli’s F1 Chief Engineer identified that whereas that they had gathered in depth info, it had not been collected utilizing homologated tires on a single monitor with a number of automobiles. He defined that this check supplied the primary alternative to acquire references with not less than 5 of the six compounds within the full vary. He famous that understanding the efficiency delta could be helpful, as inner knowledge assortment was supplemented by the extra insights gained from on-track testing with ten groups.
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