Pirelli Makes Tyre Change For Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Due To Potential Safety Issues

Pirelli is making a last minute change to the minimum tyre pressures at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This is potentially why.

Pirelli has increased the minimum starting tyre pressures for the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, hinting at potential issues behind the scenes of the rubber manufacturer.

Minimum pressures have been raised from 22.5psi to 23.5psi at the front, and from 21psi to 22psi at the rear. 

While we don't know the reasons for this, we can assume that there is an issue with tyre integrity. With the Jeddah track being incredibly fast, especially in comparison to the Bahrain Grand Prix, it's likely that Pirelli has found that there's more wheel load that is causing issues for the tyre structure.

By increasing the minimum pressures, they can increase the rigidity of the tyre, mitigating any potential damage, while also lowering the ceiling of maximum grip capable, further reducing the strain on the rubber.

This change comes after FP1 and FP2 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix yesterday and while it's a late change to be made in the racing weekend, this further enforces the idea that it's down to safety concerns.