F1 groups might be going through varied unknowns this weekend in Malaysia as the game returns to the Sepang Worldwide Circuit for the primary time in 9 years.
With most of the groups counting on historic information for his or her pre-weekend estimations, that is additionally the case for tyre provider Pirelli.
Simply 10 weeks separated the announcement of Sepang’s return on July 26 and race day on October 4.
Usually, Pirelli bases its compound selection for a weekend on a spread of knowledge, ideally current, masking tyre degradation and grip ranges on the circuit in query.
However with restricted time obtainable, Pirelli opted to determine its tyre compounds based mostly on the knowledge it had from its final go to to Malaysia.
“Since 2011, I believe we went all of the years, so now we have historical past,” mentioned Pirelli head of motorsport Dario Marrafuschi.
“2017 was the primary 12 months with wider tyres at the moment in comparison with the earlier one, and by way of stability between tyre measurement and car bundle, it was moderately near what now we have in the present day.
“To reply your query, I’d base our selections on 2017 outcomes, and would go for a selection consistent with what we did that 12 months, not in 2016, 2015, or 2014.”
Huge query mark for groups
Pirelli has confirmed that it’s going to deliver the C2 (laborious), C3 (medium), and C4 (smooth) to Sepang this weekend.
In sure circumstances, similar to new or returning venues, Pirelli sends personnel to the situation to map every part out prematurely, and that kinds the premise for the collection of the three compounds delivered to the race.
However this was not potential on this event, because the Italian marque merely didn’t have the time to hold out the job.
“We won’t have sufficient time to ship some folks there to make the measurements as a result of we have to put together the supplies as quickly as potential,” Marrafuschi added.
“I do not suppose we will ship anybody to have a look at the asphalt earlier than.”
Pirelli’s determination makes it considerably a shot at midnight, as it’s counting on nine-year-old information for its assumptions.
This additionally makes it tough for the groups to organize for the weekend, since not solely has the present technology of automobiles not but raced there, however neither has the earlier ground-effect technology.
In fact, they’ll check just a few issues on the simulator, however there are nonetheless main gaps within the obtainable monitor information. This implies the groups can also’t use the simulator to confirm whether or not the tyres are literally appropriate for the monitor.
