Mercedes in Monaco with inverted tires

 

The Mercedes team posted on their website a picture of their car from the race in Monaco, which, among other things, clearly shows that they have installed the right tire on the rear left wheel. The picture clearly shows an arrow indicating the direction of rotation of the tire, as well as the code "R22".

The picture has sparked speculation as to whether Mercedes may have tried such a technique, which is also used by some other teams, in a secret three-day test in Barcelona and based on the results decided to use it in Monaco. Mercedes said that they have been experimenting with tire changes since Melbourne, which is also confirmed by the pictures.

Some teams have already found in winter testing that tires perform better when replaced, but the question is how long and what are the possible negative consequences. The tire is designed to withstand certain loads, so the direction of rotation is prescribed, among other things, and the fact that teams experiment with tire changes could explain why there were several cases at the race in Barcelona when the tire tread deviated from its bases or bodies.

If the tire rotates in the opposite direction as prescribed by the manufacturer, it is a case of improper use and this can contribute to better performance in a few laps, but improper use can also lead to overheating and deviation of the tread from the tire body.

The basis of this year's tires is steel strip, and although the manufacturer has specified the direction of rotation, the rules do not prohibit teams from "incorrect" use. That is why Pirelli intends to introduce new / old Kevlar-based tires. The move is said to be based on safety reasons, which only confirms the thesis that the tread tear was caused by the incorrect use of tires.

Kevlar-based tires are designed to have no specific direction of rotation, so replacement teams would gain nothing.

This, in turn, would mean that teams that have been experimenting with tire changes for a long time would lose the advantage they gain by doing so, which requires special settings of the car and perhaps even a different construction of it. In the inner circles of Formula One, it is said that Mercedes has already had the opportunity to test this year's new Kevlar-based tires in three days of testing, which only further encourages complaints and opposition to change from Red Bull and Ferrari.

Mercedes is expected to test not only this year's new tires, but also many new parts of the car, including a new gearbox with a different suspension, with which the German team wants to solve tire problems.

A joke about the Mercedes team and their experimentation is already circulating on the Internet. Many suggest that Mercedes might have fewer tire problems if used as intended.