Pirelli Fires Warning To Mercedes Ahead Of Monza After Last-Minute Changes

Saajan Jogia | Aug 27, 2024

2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Friday / LAT Images

The upcoming race weekend at Monza could be full of surprises for Formula 1 teams who haven't gotten a taste of the newly laid "darker" tarmac, particularly Mercedes, whose W15 F1 car is sensitive to temperature variations, known to suffer in warmer track conditions.

Fresh asphalt can significantly alter a track's dynamics, and early signs suggest that Monza will lead to a major shift in performance this weekend, potentially sparking considerable discussion. The update is part of a broader initiative to modernize the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, including much-needed improvements to its iconic tunnel and overall infrastructure.

During their track inspection earlier this month, Pirelli's engineers noted a darker shade of asphalt among the many changes. They suggested that this could lead to higher heat retention, posing additional challenges for tire management throughout the weekend. Pirelli stated in a briefing note, as reported by Motorsport.com:

"As is usually the case with newly-laid asphalt, the surface is smoother than its predecessor and darker in color.

"This latter factor will have an impact on track temperature, which if the sun is shining could see it get hotter than in the past, even reaching significant highs of over 50°C.

"In theory, the new surface should offer more grip, which will impact tire performance and their operating temperature range."

As witnessed earlier, Mercedes struggled at venues such as Spain, Austria, and Hungary where tire temperatures remained on the higher side, compared to cooler Grand Prix destinations such as Canada and Silverstone.

With temperatures at Monza expected to hover around 30°C, teams will need to carefully manage tire wear, particularly Mercedes, whose W15 is highly susceptible to tire overheating in hot conditions, causing it to slip out of the optimal operating range.

Despite Mercedes' impressive advancements with its title contender, the team has yet to resolve the ongoing tire temperature issues, as highlighted by Mercedes trackside operations director Andrew Shovlin, ahead of the summer break. He explained:

"I think at tracks like Silverstone, we had a very stable rear end. In Austria and Budapest, we lacked stability.

"That's all down to the fact that we seem to be putting more temperature in the tires than the others.

"We know we need to work on that area. We've got plans to do that, but that's not the sort of problem you can fix with a single aero update. It will be the result of quite a few developments to try and get on top of it."