Jenson Button believes Istanbul Park will provide Pirelli with a “critical test” for their new Formula 1 tyres at next week’s Turkish Grand Prix.
Pirelli have won plaudits for the role their new-for-2011 tyres have played in the racing so far this season, the Italian manufacturer having been asked to produce compounds which degrade more quickly than their Bridgestone predecessors in order to spice up the spectacle.
Istanbul Park is set to present a fresh challenge in terms of tyre durability and wear, however – no more so than the track’s famous turn eight, the 160mph, left-handed multi-apex sweeper which places heavy loading on the front-right tyre.
Button says his McLaren team’s simulations have highlighted the strain the tyres are likely to be put under over the weekend and therefore knows a major focus in Friday's practice running will be to establish the best car balance for the track in order to take care of the tyres.
“After the race in China, I think there’ll once again be a lot of focus on tyre durability and drop-off next weekend,” Button said.
“Looking at the track configuration, our simulations suggest that Turkey will be a critical test for the tyres – particularly the front-right, which will be placed under considerable load through Turn Eight.
“It’s a high-speed, multi-apex turn with a lot of loading, so I think we’ll spend part of Friday monitoring the loads through the tyres to make sure we can achieve a safe and achievable balance for the race before we head into qualifying on Saturday.”
Pirelli have won plaudits for the role their new-for-2011 tyres have played in the racing so far this season, the Italian manufacturer having been asked to produce compounds which degrade more quickly than their Bridgestone predecessors in order to spice up the spectacle.
Istanbul Park is set to present a fresh challenge in terms of tyre durability and wear, however – no more so than the track’s famous turn eight, the 160mph, left-handed multi-apex sweeper which places heavy loading on the front-right tyre.
Button says his McLaren team’s simulations have highlighted the strain the tyres are likely to be put under over the weekend and therefore knows a major focus in Friday's practice running will be to establish the best car balance for the track in order to take care of the tyres.
“After the race in China, I think there’ll once again be a lot of focus on tyre durability and drop-off next weekend,” Button said.
“Looking at the track configuration, our simulations suggest that Turkey will be a critical test for the tyres – particularly the front-right, which will be placed under considerable load through Turn Eight.
“It’s a high-speed, multi-apex turn with a lot of loading, so I think we’ll spend part of Friday monitoring the loads through the tyres to make sure we can achieve a safe and achievable balance for the race before we head into qualifying on Saturday.”
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