Source: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
[Saba Sports News] Following the Miami F1 Grand Prix last month, seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction to the media, stating that he had never seen such a “tiny” working window for F1 tires. Currently, the speed difference between various F1 teams is minimal, and if drivers can push the tires to their peak performance, even a tenth of a second can have a significant impact. In response, Pirelli F1 chief engineer Simon Bella disagreed with Hamilton, stating that the so-called tire peak refers to the optimal tire performance at a specific time. The working window mentioned by Hamilton is merely a definition. This window is determined by a certain percentage of grip loss. Any motorsport formula developed will have limited grip at low temperatures. As the temperature increases, grip improves until it reaches its peak, after which it significantly declines due to overheating. Each team must determine the point of peak grip, understand the tire’s operating range, and develop a tire replacement strategy accordingly. However, the tire peak value is influenced by various factors, such as the suspension system. Hamilton seemingly disregarded these factors related to his own car.