Pirelli Demonstrate 18" Wheels at Monza

[FlashQld]

View attachment 323705
Pirelli having given a public debut to the 2021 18-inch wheels during the Monza F1 weekend.

With Grand Prix racing set to move towards 18-inch wheels for the 2021 Formula One season, sole tyre supplier Pirelli have giving the new wheels their first public track run in front of the Italian Grand Prix crowd this weekend.

Entrusting the freshly shod F2 test mule to former Tyrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber and Jordan driver Jean Alesi, Pirelli performed a brief demonstration of the new wheels and tyres, giving fans a small glimpse at the future of both the top two levels of open wheel motorsport.

“The eye-catching demonstration run with the new 18-inch tyres at Monza, courtesy of a legendary driver who will always be associated with this track, provided a fascinating glimpse of a future that will be with us before we know it,” said Pirelli boss Mario Isola.​

“The links between Formula 2 and Formula 1 have never been closer, symbolised by this latest demonstration and display at our home circuit.

“Now we look forward to track testing some 18-inch Formula 1 prototypes for the first time next week in France.”​

Although Formula One is set to adopt the new wheel size from 2021, 18" wheels will first hit the Grand Prix schedule in time for next season in F2, with plenty of testing having already taken place by the Italian tyre manufacturer and their official development car.

View attachment 323704

Formula One testing has yet to fully commence using the new 18-inch wheels, with further running expected to take place during the remainder of the year.

The big question is - do you like the new look of bigger wheels in F1 and F2?

Like what we do at RaceDepartment? Follow us on Social Media!

 

 

[FlashQld]

I like them. What I do notice is the drivers vision is impaired by the Halo down the centre, then it appears the tyre sits in their vision when trying to find an apex. The driver can't see left and right as evident at Monza with Vettel and Stroll. They can't see out of the back because of the small mirrors. There isn't much left. Seriously though, I would happily see them go slower and be able to pass and fight - aero needs to be addressed. How can IndyCar get two styles of driving right and F1 not get one right.

 

[Pessio]

Aahhh damn. Pimp my F1.
I'm a fan of ol' big fat baloons.
Well, i don't even care about any car after 70s so my opinion is a BIT biased.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Don't like the look of them at all . Theyre not as bad as I thought they might look but they still don't look right on a F1 car . Although I didn't like the look of the Halo I can understand that as it's for safety but this has nothing to do with safety and everything with trying to sell road tyres . In fact , surely the big fat current tyres that give tons of grip because they have a wide contact patch are safer than theyre going to be as I cant see how they can possibly have anywhere near as much grip as the current tyres .

 

[ermo]

As a car engineer, the 18" tyre is a less "racing" spec than the 13" one.
Someone can find it better looking, but the real fact is that slimmer shoulder is worse for handling and performance, but I'm sure Pirelli will do a superb work on this as they ever did.

I can't help wondering if this might also be a step in the direction of a simpler/less expensive braking system with more standardised parts?

LMP, GT and Touring cars all use 18 inch tyres, so there's bound to be quite the large body of experience with that profile already.

Assuming that an 18 inch-rim tyre is likely stiffer than a 13 inch-rim tyre of roughly the same circumference, it might also deflect and wobble less than the current tyres, which could end up being a boon in terms of aerodynamics? But maybe you can offer some insight here?

In terms of the larger MoI, could that contribute to slightly longer braking distances in and of itself, since the brakes need to counteract more rotational inertia (and energy) in the wheels themselves? Or is that insignificant compared to the linear inertia (and energy) of a 700-odd kg chassis?

 

[Giovaneveterano]

Assuming that an 18 inch-rim tyre is likely stiffer than a 13 inch-rim tyre of roughly the same circumference, it might also deflect and wobble less than the current tyres, which could end up being a boon in terms of aerodynamics? But maybe you can offer some insight here?

In terms of the larger MoI, could that contribute to slightly longer braking distances in and of itself, since the brakes need to counteract more rotational inertia (and energy) in the wheels themselves? Or is that insignificant compared to the linear inertia (and energy) of a 700-odd kg chassis?

At the crazy level of engineering of a F1 car, the diffuser and the floor are aerodynamic sensitive even to the lateral deformation of the shoulder from the static position, so they already have been designed to compensate it. With the bigger rims and tyres, in addition with more drag and completely redesigned suspensions, teams will have to drasticaly change the current aero packages. This can mean that some teams may adopt different approaches as they did with the new front wings this season.

However the increased moment of inertia of the bigger rims is not enough to impact the braking distances, but the new Pirelli compound may will. My personal suggestion on this topic is to force teams to mount smaller brake discs, as longer time on the brakes means more overtake opportunities.

 

[farjam]

18 inch tyres on current Renault F1 car.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

Man, that looks good!

 

[Will Mazeo]