How Pirelli tires go from the F1 track to the road

Rich in revolutions, the 2022 Formula 1 season brought about a strange rapprochement with… the road. Highly anticipated by the entire paddock and a large majority of fans of the discipline, the arrival of the new regulations – delayed by a year due to the pandemic – heralded a profound change in tires. Exit the small 13 inch tires. Pirelli, exclusive manufacturer since 2011, has returned to 18-inch tyres, the same as a large number of road users on a daily basis.

Far more imposing than the 13 inches, the new tires were initially greeted coldly by the pilots, worried about their peripheral vision. They have since been adopted. “The feedback from the drivers has been excellentsays Mario Isola, competition director at Pirelli. Their main desire was to be able to fight on the track, this is the case now.

And for ordinary mortals, whose will is not necessarily to scrap with the car in front at 300 km/h?…