Pirelli boss explains: 'Tyre problem is due to this'

After the several blowouts that characterised the closing stages of the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix, there appear to be problems with the tyres at this edition too. Pirelli boss Mario Isola explains.

Pirelli boss rules on tyre problems

"As usual, we analyse all the tyres used during free practice. This weekend, we have only one practice session, so we don't have a lot of data. But there is one element that I need to underline from the analysis done which shows that there is a small issue with the construction of the tyre that we believe is due to hitting the kerbs at high speed for a long time," Isola explained to F1TV.

He continued: "That's why our duty is to immediately inform the FIA, explain what happened, and try to find a solution to that." As a result, the FIA decided to move the track limits at Turns 12 and 13 80 centimetres to the right. The drivers were less enthusiastic about this but were given 10 minutes to try out the new situation. As a result, the sprint shootout was delayed by 20 minutes.

Isola stresses that the kerbs themselves are not that different from other circuits, but that there is another factor at play. "What is different is not the kerb itself but the speed and the time they spend on the kerb. This kerb is used on other tracks, but only here, and if you remember, we had a similar issue in 2021," the Pirelli boss continued.

"Talking to the FIA, they decided that moving the track limits in some parts of the circuit, like at turns 12, 13 and 14, could be a good step to help drivers not to go over the kerbs too much. Sometimes, they are going above the kerb and coming back, so this double impact is obviously not helping the tyre to resist," Isola said.