The spectacular tyre failure for Nico Rosberg in FP2 at Spa has put the spotlight firmly on Pirelli, and the incident came shortly after the FIA warned F1 teams that there will be strict checks to ensure that parameters set by Pirelli are being respected.
Charlie Whiting sent out a Technical Directive after today’s FP1 session in which he underlined that the checks were related to safety.
While there is no suggestion that Rosberg’s Mercedes was running outside any of the prescribed parameters the timing of the TD appeared to imply that Pirelli had faced some concerns after this morning’s FP1 session. There has been controversy at Spa in past years, notably related to cambers.
However, a Pirelli spokesman told this writer that the TD was a result of a routine meeting yesterday, and that nothing untoward was spotted in FP1 today. It’s understood that what was in effect a reminder to follow Pirelli guidelines was a response to the FIA noting some unusually high tyre blanket temperatures in Hungary. Today’s note was a copy of one issued in Budapest in 2013.
The TD said: “Once again we have been asked by Pirelli, for reasons of safety, to ensure that all tyres are used as laid out in ’15R11SPA Preview,’ circulated to all teams on 28 July, checks on the following parameters will made randomly.”
Whiting went on to clarify that the parameters that will be checked were minimum starting pressure front and rear, maximum negative EOS camber front and rear, left to right swapping of the tyres both front and rear (which was an issue a couple of seasons ago), and respect of the tyre blanket strategies.
He added that the checks would also be carried out at future events, and until further notice.
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