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From GMM
Pirelli's new 60 per cent scale wind tunnel tires could be to blame for some teams' troubles in 2013, according to a technical expert.
Top team McLaren faltered badly over the winter in switching from the winning 2012 car to the new and uncompetitive MP4-28.
And it's been a similar story at Williams and Sauber, who last year were among the standouts of the midfield and are now conspicuously scrambling for pace in 2013.
Referring to McLaren and Sauber, Swiss newspaper Blick's technical expert Mike Hammer writes: "Both teams now believe they know where the problem lies.
"It has to do with the new Pirelli tires. They are more angular than in 2012, and then deform differently in the corners, which has a great influence on the aerodynamics.
"Millimetres play a role, but the 60 per cent tire for the wind tunnel models have led McLaren and Sauber astray," he added.
An unnamed McLaren engineer agreed: "They (the Pirelli tire models) are much worse than last year."
Faced with the latest criticism, Pirelli's Paul Hembery insisted: "We are talking about eleven teams with eleven different wind tunnels.
"It is not easy to build good 60 per cent tires," he added.
The theory would explain why teams who made significant changes over the winter have disproportionately suffered so far this season.
Pirelli's new 60 per cent scale wind tunnel tires could be to blame for some teams' troubles in 2013, according to a technical expert.
Top team McLaren faltered badly over the winter in switching from the winning 2012 car to the new and uncompetitive MP4-28.
And it's been a similar story at Williams and Sauber, who last year were among the standouts of the midfield and are now conspicuously scrambling for pace in 2013.
Referring to McLaren and Sauber, Swiss newspaper Blick's technical expert Mike Hammer writes: "Both teams now believe they know where the problem lies.
"It has to do with the new Pirelli tires. They are more angular than in 2012, and then deform differently in the corners, which has a great influence on the aerodynamics.
"Millimetres play a role, but the 60 per cent tire for the wind tunnel models have led McLaren and Sauber astray," he added.
An unnamed McLaren engineer agreed: "They (the Pirelli tire models) are much worse than last year."
Faced with the latest criticism, Pirelli's Paul Hembery insisted: "We are talking about eleven teams with eleven different wind tunnels.
"It is not easy to build good 60 per cent tires," he added.
The theory would explain why teams who made significant changes over the winter have disproportionately suffered so far this season.