'Strange' theory behind F1's Qatar tyre disaster

3 years ago 473

Following serval incidents of tyre failures and car harm crossed the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes person cited the size of the kerbs astatine the Losail International Circuit arsenic portion of the problem.

Despite speculation that the kerbs were excessively unsmooth resulting successful punctures for Valtteri Bottas, Lando Norris, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi successful the second stages of racing, Mercedes present judge the kerbs were excessively low, providing small deterrent to debar driving implicit them.

Mercedes' manager of trackside engineering Andrew Shovlin says that repeated moving implicit of the kerbs could person placed further strain connected the tyres.

"It is unusual due to the fact that the contented is that they are really rather smooth, truthful so you tin tally each implicit them," helium said.

"When you tally each implicit them, the beforehand wings are precise debased to the crushed and they are being clipped, positive the tyres are being deed beauteous hard by them.

"In a bizarre way, if they were much assertive it would astir apt beryllium easier for the cars and the tyres.

"But the information that you tin get connected them, and the quickest happening is to get connected them arsenic well, means you person got to bash it here, and therein lies the risk."

However, contention manager Michael Masi has responded saying that the kerbs successful spot astatine Losail are regularly utilized crossed some F1 and MotoGP circuits, including astatine Austria's Red Bull Ring

"They're the modular FIA/FIM kerbs that we've seen astatine the past 2 corners astatine Austria forever," helium said.

"I deliberation 1 of the things is that drivers were trying to usage everything to their afloat advantage."

Pirelli volition behaviour a afloat laboratory investigation of their tyres astatine their basal successful Milan.

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