Pirelli announces verdict after teams are accused of tire water tricks

After Red Bull claimed several F1 teams injected water into their tires during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Formula One tire supplier Pirelli launched an investigation to verify the claims. Pirelli completed its review and confirmed that no evidence was found to support the claims.

Concerns arose that certain teams may have developed a method of cooling their tires during the race by injecting water through the valve system. This speculation intensified after moisture was reportedly found in the rims during tire removal following the Marina Bay Grand Prix.

In response, Nikolas Tombazis, technical director of the FIA ​​single-seater class, is said to have discussed the problem with Pirelli during the Brazilian Grand Prix and monitored tire checks after the sprint race at Interlagos. According to the official acceptance report, all tires examined after the sprint were fully compliant with the regulations, dispelling any immediate doubts.

Mario Isola, Head of F1 and Auto Racing at Pirelli, revealed the results of the investigation and told the media:

“I don't see anything strange from the data we have. I have no evidence.

“Of course, as I said, it is now up to the FIA ​​to decide what to do and tell us whether we can support them, because at the end of the day we can only support them.”

“If there is anything we can do to review the situation or give them advice on a possible situation, we are here to support them.

“I'm not aware of any problem, but I've heard the story and also tried to understand why it should be done and now I have an idea. But otherwise everything is in the hands of the FIA.”

Isola added that while it is easy to inject water into tires, there are several factors that affect tire pressure. He explained:

“It's very easy.

“They have a valve – and you just put water in it.

“But how the system works is a different story. Basically, it's a thermal effect: a transfer of heat between the tire and the rim, which should result in more consistency or less wear on the tire, even if you have less ability to control the pressure.

“If there is steam in the tire, you obviously lose control of the pressure because the pressure is higher.”

The Pirelli official confirmed that the tires are filled with dry air before being issued to the teams and that any manipulation by adding water would violate a technical guideline set several years ago. He added:

“The TD came a few years ago when there was a discussion about it.

“There was also a discussion about specialty gases where it was suggested that some teams would change the gas in the tires to better control pressure.

“Then someone started talking about moisture in the tire and why we should have more or less of it.

“We supply the tires with dry air inside. We have a dryer connected to our system and all tires are supplied with dry air as per regulations.

“The technical guidelines clearly state that any changes to it are prohibited. But then you have to have clear evidence in a situation like this.”