Pirelli explains the barcodes of Formula 1 tires

Pirelli brings around 1800 tires to each grand prix, but the fate of these tires is sealed long before they arrive at the circuit. The tires for each race are made through a specific production cycle which, in fact, begins well before the Grand Prix.

The tires are produced in Izmit, just outside the Turkish capital Istanbul, in one of the most technologically advanced Pirelli factories for motorsport. During the manufacturing process, each tire is assigned a barcode by the FIA ​​(the sport's governing body). This code is a sort of 'passport' of the tyre, firmly embedded in the structure during the vulcanisation process so that it cannot be exchanged. The code contains all the characteristics of each tyre, making each tire traceable throughout the race weekend through the Pirelli RTS (Racing Tire System) software, capable of reading and updating all the data in real time.

For the European races, the tires are then transported to Pirelli's logistics and distribution center in Didcot, UK. Once there, an FIA official receives a list of barcodes, relating to the tires that will be adopted for the next Grand Prix. The FIA ​​then assigns, at random, the barcodes – and therefore the tires – to the individual teams.

Pirelli is completely excluded from this process, meaning that the Italian company cannot influence the tire allocation for the teams in any way; Furthermore, a rigorous quality control process is carried out in Izmit and ensures that all tires leaving the factory are identical.

Once on the circuit, the tires are then assigned to the teams in strict compliance with the list previously drawn up by the FIA. The barcodes allow both the FIA ​​and Pirelli to ensure that each team uses the appropriate tires according to the regulations.

Each Team is assigned a Pirelli engineer who works exclusively with that team throughout the year and who can only see the data and information relating to the team he is assigned to from the database, in this way the strategies of each Team are not compromised.

The data is then analyzed by Pirelli engineers, who check all the information in order to assist the research team responsible for designing the next generation of tyres.

As Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery points out: “Even if we wanted to – and we don't want to – we have no way of influencing the tire allocation, as this process is handled entirely by the FIA ​​once the tires leave the Izmit factory. It is a further way of guaranteeing impartiality for all teams: a priority aspect for us, as the sole supplier of tyres. And the very way in which our engineers work guarantees this absolute impartiality."

THE COUNTDOWN BEFORE EACH GP

Before the grand prix:

Pirelli, with the approval of the FIA, selects the tires for the race: a soft compound and a hard compound;
Production for the tire allocation already begins at the Izmit factory in Turkey. Pirelli supplies approximately 1800 F1 tires for each race; around 700 more for the GP2 race and 600 more for the GP3 race.

Two weeks before the grand prix:

For the European races, race tires are transported by road from Izmit to Didcot – a journey of approximately 3.100 kilometers that takes three days.

The tires arrive at the Didcot plant and there the barcodes are scanned into the Pirelli system. These codes are subsequently communicated to the FIA ​​(the governing body of the motorsport world).

Randomly, the FIA ​​assigns barcodes to each team. The allocated tires are then allocated to the teams in Didcot and loaded onto seven trucks which will transport them to the Grand Prix (four trucks for F1, three trucks for GP2 and GP3).

One week before the grand prix:

Lorries departing from Didcot typically arrive on the Monday before the race. The 18 fitters finalize the fitting area and the barcodes are confirmed once again with the FIA.

Five days before the grand prix:

The fitters begin to mount the tires on the rims. It takes an experienced fitter 2,5 minutes to fit a tire from start to finish; It takes two days to fit all the weekend's tires. The tyres, previously delivered to the Teams, remain in their possession during the weekend and it is up to them to take them to the fitters to have them fitted.

During the grand prix weekend:

The sporting regulations require that one set of harder dry tires be returned after the first practice session, one set of softer tires and one set of harder tires be returned before the start of the third practice session. A further set of softer tires and one set of harder tires must then be returned before the start of qualifying. This means that each driver has six sets of dry tires (three of each specification) available for qualifying and the race.

Tires that are returned are removed from the rims, as they will no longer be used, and the rims are returned to the teams.

After the grand prix:

All remaining tyres, both used and unused, are removed from the rims and returned to Didcot. Once there, the tires are taken to a specialized plant where they are shredded and then burned at very high temperatures in order to produce fuel for cement factories. The material produced in this process can also be used for road surfaces and other industrial applications.