The last day of practice in the Bahrain tests allowed us to see the first real race simulations. The teams focused heavily on the toughest compounds in the Pirelli range, the C1 and C2 , which along with the C3 have been selected for the first weekend of the year.
In some cases, drivers were seen completing multiple “runs” on the same compound, evaluating the behavior of the harder tires at high and medium fuel loads.
One of the novelties of the 2022 sporting regulations is that it is no longer mandatory to use the same set of tires for the race that was used in qualifying to go from Q2 to Q3, a limitation that has conditioned the strategies of the TOP teams in the last years.
Starting this season, teams will be able to freely choose the compound they will ride at the start of the race, giving them total freedom to plan the grand prix with no obligation other than using at least two different compounds.
Testing in Bahrain promoted the C3 compound, as confirmed by several long runs of 18/20 laps, the planned distance for next weekend’s soft compound. There are more unknowns about the C2, which for the moment has shown greater degradation than expected, especially if the conditions are the same as those we have seen on the second day of testing, that is, almost 50 degrees of asphalt temperature.
With that scenario, it cannot be categorically ruled out that in the hottest and most stressful races for the tyres, we will see the cars start on hard tyres, an option that until last year was really impossible due to the limitations imposed in qualifying.
On tracks like the Bahrain International Circuit, where the tarmac is very abrasive and often very hot, running the harder compound at the start would allow drivers to manage their race strategy with a wider pit stop window. The downside is the need to bring the tires up to temperature as soon as possible after the start, but the risk can be balanced against the benefits.
The key will be stability, and even in Bahrain at the moment the harder compounds seem to offer more guarantees. The softer compounds in the first laps cause the cars to understeer in the slow sections, due to the greater grip of the rear axle, and it is precisely the demand for traction that progressively accelerates the fall of the rear tires, causing the car to take little time in oversteer.
“Race after race the situation will improve,” commented an engineer, “but we have to keep in mind that we are still at the beginning of the set-up work on these cars, everything is still very green. But soon the teams will find the best performances.” .
Going into the first weekend of the season, there is also some concern on the front tires with a tendency to lock up under braking, confirmed by almost all the cars.
A major crash during testing means going back to the pits early, but in the race the price to pay is very different. The stiffness of the cars and the low ground clearance put the tires to the test, whose basic characteristics (the 18-inch sidewall is lower and stiffer) mean that they have a greater tendency to lock up.
The drivers will have to be very careful, especially in the first laps of the stints, but Bahrain offers a ‘pardon’. The Sakhir track offers plenty of room in terms of run-outs and in the event of excessive braking, the drivers will avoid tire lock-up by going through the wide outer spaces as we saw time and time again at Turn 10. However, in the next round at the Jeddah circuit they will no longer be able to count on that lifesaver…
