2015 Belgium Grand Prix

[The Black Knight]

If it is deemed Ferrari ignored advice from Pirelli on the suggested number of laps, then it could be Ferrari in hot water. No other teams were attempting a one stop strategy and nobody else had tyre de-laminations from pushing the tyres to 28 laps. Even the commentators were questioning if Ferrari were tempting disaster.

The tyres are what they are and they encourage pit stops to try and split up what is often processional racing. If teams try and stretch the advice they are given, they shouldn't let their drivers sulk in front of the cameras and blame the component. Spa is a long lap and known to be hard on tyres due to the amount of high speed corners. Ferrari shouldn't have taken the gamble, especially with the amount of info they already have on these tyres.

Pirelli clearly stated 40 laps was tyre life, so how could they have ignored Pirelli's advice?

[Nitrodaze]

If it is deemed Ferrari ignored advice from Pirelli on the suggested number of laps, then it could be Ferrari in hot water. No other teams were attempting a one stop strategy and nobody else had tyre de-laminations from pushing the tyres to 28 laps. Even the commentators were questioning if Ferrari were tempting disaster.

The BBC has quoted Pirelli previously stated that 40 laps was the recommended maximum tyre life some time ago. But 40 laps does not translate to the same mileage distance at all tracks. A single full Silverstone lap is 5.9km and Spa is 7km, hence 40 lap of Silverstone is 236km which is roughly 33.7 laps of Spa. Vettels tyres failed on lap 28, a 196km distance which is clearly 5.7 laps short of the Pirelli published 236km max distance for the tyre before failure. So there are some grounds for Ferrari and Vettel to complain.

After the Bianchi passing, it is safe to say that tyres blowing up at 200 mph is not acceptable. Either the rules are wrong or Pirelli did not meet the specifications for the tyres satisfactorily. Whatever the case, F1 teams must have clear reliable data on which to base their strategy. Not a shifting goal post on a race by race basis. If Pirelli is saying the max distance for the tyre is say 236km for all tracks, then it must be reliably so and the teams must be able to rely on this information.

Vettel has a point and it is a safety one.

[Robinho]

If Vettel was so concerned about the integrity of the tyres it certainly wasn't obvious in his driving. He was consistently dropping the left wheels into the gravel/concrete behind the kerb at the top of the hill, and even on the lap it blew, through eau rouge, he had all 4 wheels off the track over the top of the kerbs and then the right side over the back of the kerb of the other side of the curve. I would have expected someone trying to eke out a tyre to be a little more circumspect.

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[The Black Knight]

If Vettel was so concerned about the integrity of the tyres it certainly wasn't obvious in his driving. He was consistently dropping the left wheels into the gravel/concrete behind the kerb at the top of the hill, and even on the lap it blew, through eau rouge, he had all 4 wheels off the track over the top of the kerbs and then the right side over the back of the kerb of the other side of the curve. I would have expected someone trying to eke out a tyre to be a little more circumspect.

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It's really down to the forces exerted through corners that the vast majority of rubber is scrubbed off. The top of Eau Rouge is pretty flat out and the turning angle isn't very sharp there. They turn into it before the corner and gently lean left as they come out of it. I would imagine it's the infield section that is the hardest on tyres. I might be wrong but I can't see it being anywhere near the hardest part of the circuit on tyres.

[EDIT] actually I am wrong about this- the vertical load through Eau Rouge is over 1 tonnes on the tyres. I'd like to see where this vertical load is at it's most throughout Eau Rouge though.

[Big Ben]

If teams try and stretch the advice they are given, they shouldn't let their drivers sulk in front of the cameras and blame the component.

I wouldn't go as far as that. Vettel (and others) should say whatever they want and show their true colors so I can spot a spoilt brat like this one and not like him. No PR talk, thank you very much.

[Nitrodaze]

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Game on :-)