12/01/2016
NEWS STORY
Hopes of "faster", "aggressive" looking cars in 2017 have been dashed by tyre manufacturer Pirelli.
The Italian company has warned that planned changes to the width of cars, the tyres and changes to the shape and sizes of wings would result in higher cornering speeds... which was one of the intentions.
However, Pirelli warns that its tyres could not cope with the increased loads without making them harder and thereby slower.
The plans, first mooted in 2015 as it became increasingly clear that the formula introduced in 2014 was not proving popular with fans, would see downforce increase by as much as 60% which would hopefully cut around 5s off current lap times.
"With the new tyre sizes proposed for 2017, we think the load capacity of a tyre built to the current construction would increase by about 10%," a Pirelli spokesman told BBC Sport. "But nobody knows what structure we will choose for 2017 yet.
"Everything will be calculated much more carefully when we start testing," he added.
Pirelli has made a presentation to the teams - who were 8-3 in favour of the changes - claiming that tyres constructed to the 2017 dimensions could not cope with more than a 15% increase in downforce without drastically increasing tyre pressures - possibly by as much as 50% - which would effectively negate the improvements.
Furthermore, it is feared that less tyre (mechanical) grip would see lap time gain come from aero grip, thereby making overtaking even more difficult than it already is.
"Maybe a totally brand new tyre can be built," said the Pirelli spokesman. "There is a lot of speculation about this process, but it is still at a very early stage."
Pirelli's warning echoes Mercedes fears that F1 cars are already close to the limit in terms of downforce and power and that any significant changes would see tyres having to cope loads never experienced before.
At the time Mercedes claims were dismissed by rivals who said the German outfit was merely expressing such fears in an attempt to maintain its advantage. As if.