Lewis Hamilton strongly opposes the idea of phasing out the use of electric thermal covers for tire warming in the foreseeable future – he called such plans “dangerous” and “pointless”.
Formula 1 is considering a ban on thermal covers from 2024 to reduce costs, energy consumption and environmental impact. The vote on this matter is yet to come, but Hamilton has already taken part in the tests of prototypes of new slicks and took to the track without warming them up, after which he subjected these plans to sharp criticism.
“I tested it and it is dangerous,” said the seven-time world champion. – Sooner or later an accident will happen, and if we talk about safety reasons, then this is the wrong decision. To achieve efficient tire performance, the driver must complete several laps. We are told that removing thermal covers will make racing greener, but we will use more fuel to warm up the tires.
But what worries me the most is that when we go out on the track, the car skids and it’s very difficult to drive. If another rider is on hot tires at that time, the risk of a collision is high. So it’s all pointless.”
Carlos Sainz, Ferrari driver, agrees with Hamilton: “I still don’t understand why F1 wants to abandon thermal hoods. From my point of view, this is a pointless endeavor. This will only increase fuel consumption and tire wear, so I don’t understand this philosophy from an environmental point of view either. The risk also increases with modern cars that have a lower ground clearance.”
Pirelli responded to comments from Hamilton and other drivers. Mario Isola, head of motorsport programs for the Italian tire manufacturer, said: “We are following the plan proposed by the FIA and Formula 1. This work has just begun and after the Silverstone round there will be a discussion with all stakeholders. .
Lewis worked on tests at Circuit Paul Ricard in early February. It was quite cold and we only tested prototype tires that we want to homologate for use without thermal covers. We’ve been discussing the idea of giving them up for a number of years now, and it’s shared by the FIA, Formula 1, all the teams, Pirelli and promoters, because it will help to be carbon neutral by 2030.
We were testing wet tires before the Christmas break and the drivers didn’t like how they performed. Then we created a rubber compound that can work without thermal covers. In cold weather, we compared it to old tires that need such covers. We did this on three different tracks with three different teams, and if I’m not mistaken, all the riders gave positive reviews.
That is why we plan to stop using thermal covers for wet tires from Imola onwards. This decision was approved by the Formula 1 committee last Wednesday.
I just want to emphasize that making tires that don’t need thermal covers is a very difficult engineering task. It takes time to develop such a rubber. We already have a plan and we also agreed that in July we will analyze all the information we have collected.”
It is curious that there was a reaction to this discussion abroad, although it seems to have nothing to do with American motorsport. However, James Hinchcliffe, a veteran IndyCar and now TV commentator, wrote on his social media pages: “I am surprised that some Formula 1 drivers are against the abolition of thermal covers. But this makes the races more interesting, it becomes clear who has the skill property to fly on cold tires.
In addition, it saves a lot of money and reduces the impact on the environment, as energy consumption and the weight of the transported goods are reduced. The argument that this is dangerous has been refuted in many other racing series and the argument that it increases fuel consumption is false.
When a rider is running on cold tyres, he accelerates less and laps more slowly, so less fuel is wasted. Pirelli’s first prototype tires may not have been very efficient, but the same company makes Formula 2 tires and there are no problems. Give the tire manufacturers time, and in the future F1 could abandon thermal covers.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
