Fast Five: Pirelli seeks to address tire complaints with 2025 innovation, Ferrari moves to extend Leclerc's contract, and other big updates

Pirelli seeks to address tire complaints with 2025 innovation

Pirelli, Formula 1's sole tire supplier, is working on a groundbreaking tire set to debut in 2025 in response to drivers' and teams' complaints about tire performance, particularly highlighted at the Interlagos race due to severe degradation issues. Pirelli aims to create a tire that balances wear with race dynamics to maintain competition. While addressing these concerns, Pirelli's chief, Mario Isola, emphasized that eliminating tire wear entirely could make races uneventful and less strategic. The goal is to strike a balance between tire durability and strategic diversity, ensuring more aggressive racing is possible while maintaining competition.

Click here to read the full article at grandprix.com

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Ferrari moves to extend Leclerc's contract

Ferrari is set to announce a contract extension for Charles Leclerc in 2025 amid speculation fueled by enigmatic social media teasers. Despite recent challenges, including Leclerc's emotional exit from the Brazilian Grand Prix, negotiations for the extension continue, with Leclerc seeking not just a contract but also a competitive car for a shot at the World Championship. As Ferrari's new team boss, Frederic Vasseur faces a pivotal 2024 in the quest to restore the team's former glory, while Ralf Schumacher emphasizes the need for patience in resurrecting Ferrari's fortunes, drawing parallels to his brother Michael's era.

Click here to read the full article at grandpx.news

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How 'R&D work in public' delayed Aston Martin before Brazil turnaround

Aston Martin revealed how it reversed its recent poor performances in the Brazilian Grand Prix, ending a slump that was linked to their 2024 development work. After a series of upgrades to the AMR23, the team had struggled, with their best finish being sixth in the previous six races. Their performance director, Tom McCullough, explained that they focused on testing and data collection for next year, but this affected their current season. The team's decision to shift their attention back to maximizing their current car's performance helped their drivers achieve a strong result in Brazil.

Click here to read the full article by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham (racefans.net)

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What it takes to be Verstappen's race engineer

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In the latest episode of Talking Bull, the Official Oracle Red Bull Racing podcast, Nicola Hume is joined by none other than three-time World Champion Max Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, often known as GP. Max talks about his season, how he's stayed at the top, and his relationship with GP both on and off the track.

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What's happening to Mercedes?

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Mercedes' Team Principal Toto Wolff described the Brazilian Grand Prix as the team's poorest performance in 13 years, which aligns with the noticeable performance gap they faced in 2023. What's more concerning is the uncertainty surrounding the reasons for this decline and how to address it. But what does it mean for 2024?