MOMENTUM - February 2024 - 28

SUSTAINABILITY
FORMULA 1, PIRELLI, AND OTHERS RACE
TOWARDS GOOD, " CLEAN " COMPETITION
SURROUNDED BY THE SPECTACLE AND PAGEANTRY of the
inaugural Las Vegas Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix, it's difficult to
imagine that behind the scenes, the fundamental engineering
core of F1 is going green.
There is nothing subtle about Formula 1, a motorsport that's
gained popularity in recent years in the U.S. thanks to the
drama-rich Netflix show Drive to Survive. Toss in the glitz of
Las Vegas and everything is kicked up a notch. Yet, at its core,
the motorsport, like all others, is grounded deeply in
engineering.
For the Las Vegas race, one item was on the minds of fans,
teams, and drivers: cold-weather tire performance. The desert
grand prix would start at 10 p.m. local time. Vegas has a welldeserved
reputation for scorching temperatures during the day
in the summer; winter nights are an entirely different story.
While 50 °F (10 °C) doesn't sound cold to most people, for
Formula 1 tires whose compounds were engineered to grip
asphalt at warmer temperatures, it's downright chilly.
Drivers have three dry-weather tires to choose from. The
hard tires offer longevity and work well at high temperatures,
offering grip as they warm up. The soft tires don't last nearly as
long-which means more pit stops-but offer more grip to the
road without needing the heat of the hard tire. And in the
middle, the medium tire. A compromise between the extremes.
Ahead of the race, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso
shared his concerns. " We have three tires to choose from: the
soft, the medium, and the hard. The hard probably has not
been useful for anyone at the moment. It's an unknown how
that tire will behave in this cold temperature. But the soft, they
are struggling with the long straights and heavy braking, "
Alonso said.
Fortunately, the weather mostly relented on race night. The
temperatures crept above that of the previous evenings, when
the teams were qualifying. Still, the cold temperature and new
road course yielded more than a few moments of lost grip. The
chilly temps, cold tires, and a race track bump were blamed for
the spark-filled incident that had McLaren's Lando Norris
spinning out of control and into a run-off portion of the track
during lap 3.
The temperature situation put Pirelli, the event's official tire
supplier, in the spotlight. Mario Isola, head of Pirelli F1 told SAE,
" During our 13 years, we've had many new races. I have to say
that Las Vegas is one of the most difficult because the weather
expected was colder. Our tires are not designed to work in very
cold conditions. "
There are other weather considerations on the minds of
Pirelli, F1, and motorsports at large. Climate change continues
to create chaotic weather conditions that will only worsen if
society doesn't move to a more sustainable
system in the near future.
In 2026, Formula 1 will
transition to fully
Pirelli produced the world's first FSC-certified
tires, which contain natural rubber and rayon.
28 February 2024
MOMENTUM
Pirelli

https://www.formula1.com/en/drivers/fernando-alonso.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_1:_Drive_to_Survive https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2023-las-vegas-grand-prix-norris-crashes-out-on-lap-3-to-trigger-the-safety-car.1782973190335519092.html https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.more-efficient-less-fuel-and-carbon-net-zero-7-things-you-need-to-know-about.ZhtzvU3cPCv8QO7jtFxQR.html

MOMENTUM - February 2024

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