Just days after the Suzuka race, Pirelli’s rigorous tire testing on the Japanese Grand Prix circuit spotlighted the manufacturer’s dedication and strategic planning for future races.
Two days following the Suzuka race, Pirelli is hard at work on the Japanese Grand Prix circuit. The Italian manufacturer is testing its tires, having requisitioned a car from RB F1 and a single-seater from Stake F1 for the occasion.
Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas respectively took the wheel for the teams, completing 106 laps for the Australian and 133 for the Finn. They managed to do 16 and 17 laps on a wet track respectively, after heavy overnight rain also cut into their schedule.
On the wet track, the aim was to explore how to achieve a better operating window with intermediate tires, to limit the use of tire warmers, as well as to reduce overheating of the wet tires. On dry conditions, the focus was on preparations for 2025.
In total, 12 types of tires were utilized over a day that saw the two drivers cover more than 1200 kilometers. Both teams and Pirelli will continue their tests tomorrow, with Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda.
“The first day went well on my end, we followed the entire day’s schedule and gathered a lot of useful data on next year’s tires for Pirelli,” Bottas stated.
“The weather conditions were a bit challenging in the morning following the heavy rains, but it worked out well as it allowed us to test the intermediate tires. Then, once the track had dried sufficiently, we proceeded with our schedule.”
“We completed several laps and tested different tire compounds. Every time we are on track, it’s also a new opportunity for the whole team to improve, so overall, it was a good, productive day, with more to come tomorrow.”
Ricciardo managed to get in more laps at Suzuka than over the weekend. He had given up his car on Friday morning, was confined to the garage by the rain in EL2, and didn’t make it past the third turn in the race.
The day allowed him to work with Pirelli, in addition to enjoying the circuit: “A productive day with Pirelli, testing some 2025 compounds. Unfortunately, we had limited running this morning due to the weather conditions.”
“But on a positive note, this allowed us to explore both the wet and intermediate compounds we don’t often use. The afternoon’s program went smoothly.”
“We completed our walk plan and were able to provide constructive data to Pirelli – personally, it was nice to do some laps of Suzuka after our race weekend.”
Pirelli’s Intense Tire Testing at Suzuka Post-Race. Pirelli’s Intense Tire Testing at Suzuka Post-Race
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