Pirelli is expected to refrain from changing its C2 tire compound in Formula 1 next year after testing a prototype at the Japanese Grand Prix failed to produce any improvement. Formula 1’s official tire supplier had been considering some changes to the tire compounds for next year to address some minor issues.
Among other things, consideration was given to making the C2 mixture – the third hardest mixture in the range from C0 to C5 – slightly softer. The reason for this was that it was found to be quite close to C1 and a little too far from C3 in terms of performance, so a slight shift would have helped smooth out the differences between the blends.
In accordance with Formula 1 tire testing regulations, Pirelli distributed two sets of the prototype’s softer C2 compound to each driver for Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Prototype did not provide the desired grip
However, initial feedback from the race with the modified C2 compound showed that it did not deliver the jump in performance that was hoped for, so Pirelli will now almost certainly stick with the current compounds until 2024.
When asked by “Motorsport.com” about the results of Friday’s training in Japan, Pirelli race director Mario Isola said: “When I look at the data and also take into account the development of the track, I believe that the prototype does not have the grip that it needs what we had hoped for.”
“That’s why next year we will probably stick with the current C2. Without a clear result, a clear step in terms of grip, there is no reason to introduce a new compound when we have the current C2, which works well,” says Isola ” It’s just a little too close to the C1 and a little too far from the C3, so we wanted to test the prototype.
A new C4 tire is being tested in Mexico
Pirelli explained that testing the facelifted C2 was a one-off and that no further testing is planned. However, at this month’s Mexican Grand Prix, Pirelli will test a revised C4 prototype that it hopes will deliver better performance.
In contrast to the C2 tire, it is not about changing the grip of the tire and thus its position within the different compounds. “The C4 has shown a lot of graining over the course of the season. So we want to improve the mechanical durability and have a wider working range, because the feedback from the teams is that the C4 is a bit sharp,” explains Isola.
In addition to the test of the C4 prototype planned for Mexico, Pirelli has also announced that it will use softer tire compounds at the Grand Prix than last year. The hard, medium and soft tires will be C3, C4 and C5.