Tyre Degradation Challenges Force F1 Teams to Alter Practice Plans in Malaysia

Friday practice at Sepang saw lap times four and a half seconds slower than expected due to poor track surface conditions. With the FIA estimating a 90% chance of rain ahead of FP2, several teams, including Red Bull Racing, brought their long runs forward. Max Verstappen prioritized long runs on medium tyres to assess degradation, with Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache confirming that the team chose to focus on tyre behavior rather than soft-tyre qualifying simulations.

Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra reported tyre degradation levels of two to three tenths of a second per lap on both medium and soft compounds, comparing the situation to Barcelona. Low grip caused by the poor surface exacerbated thermal degradation, as sliding increased surface temperatures and reduced grip further. Teams face the complex challenge of managing rear tyre temperatures while avoiding overloading the front tyres in high-speed corners.

Unlike the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, grid position is less critical at Sepang because overtaking is feasible for cars that manage tyre performance effectively. Pirelli expects all three compounds to be viable for a two- or three-stop race strategy. Although all teams saved two sets of hard tyres (C2), none have gathered actual data on them, and Pirelli noted that the harder compound could still suffer high degradation due to lower grip and increased sliding.