F1 | Miami simulation: great stress on the tires at turn 6

F1 leaves European soil momentarily to land in Florida, for the expected debut of the Miami Grand Prix, the first of the two US events scheduled this year (it should be noted that only Italy and the States can boast two GPs in this season).

The Miami race is held on a street circuit, located near the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins’ NFL franchise. The track is characterized by 19 curves, 7 to the right and 12 to the left, with 3 straights, two of which are very long, which makes it a fairly atypical citizen, very similar in some ways to that of Baku.

There are practically straight sections, in which an aerodynamic set-up of the unloaded single-seater will be necessary to counteract the drag, and sectors such as the first and the one that goes from curve 11 to curve 16, which are instead very tortuous. In these sections it will be important to have good downforce. Finding the right setup will be a big deal to the riders and engineers.

The simulations carried out by the MegaRide technicians with their proprietary predictive models highlight this aspect. The graph below shows the different thermal energies generated on the tires in one lap on the American track: the tire tends to heat up not only during braking and acceleration or when cornering, but also due to the cyclic deformation to which it is subjected. , given its viscoelastic nature. The tires most heavily used are the front right and the rear right, especially in the area between Turn 6 and Turn 8.

Thermal variations on the four tires in the Miami GP

Photo by: MegaRide

In the sequence of curves 11-16, the right rear tire experiences a maximum thermal increase on the surface equal to 20%. This thermal stress is quite important for the whole sequence up to curve 8, only to be counteracted by the next practically straight section.

At turn 6 there may be a 20% temperature variation on the tires

Photo by: MegaRide

For this round of the world championship the ambient temperatures could be close to 30 ° C, with obvious problems for the tires. As shown by the graphs proposed by the MegaRide engineers, the new 18-inch tires could offer better handling of surface temperatures than the old 13-inch tires.

In fact, the former tend to have a decidedly lower average temperature, allowing the pilots to less careful management of the tires during the various stints.

Comparison of temperatures of 18 “tires compared to 13” tires in Miami

Photo by: MegaRide

For this Grand Prix, Pirelli approved the C2 C3 and C4 compounds. A fairly conservative choice being a street circuit, similar to that for the Saudi Arabian GP, ​​justified by the lack of experience on this track and by the little knowledge of the asphalt laid near the Hard Rock Stadium.