Pirelli says they are "in the loop" on the research by Formula 1 and the FIA into improving the visibility under extreme wet conditions. The governing body revealed it is going to study 'five key areas' to aid wet weather safety , which could include the introduction of a standard bodywork kit that is fitted to cars. Pirelli Motorsport Director, Mario Isola, says F1's sole tyre maker is working alongside the FIA Technical (TAC) and Sporting Advisory Committees (SAC) to investigate what can be done to limit water spray from the tyres and diffuser. "We are in discussion with the with FIA, I have people attending the TAC and SAC, so we are in the loop," he told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I believe most of the study is coming from from the defuser, so they are investigating also this and it's not just the tyres."
Pirelli would need to adapt tyres
Isola says that the reason F1 does not currently run an 'extreme wet tyre' is due to the visibility issues it would pose. He explained: "At the moment they are not running in full wet conditions because of the visibility, so to also have a tyre [for those conditions] is not useful because they will never use it." However, this might change if a solution is found that enables teams to adapt their cars for these types of conditions. "If the idea is to have a device that is avoiding spray and the visibility is much better so they are running in full wet conditions, we have we need this information to design tyres that are able to cope with these conditions. "The Intermediate tyre is obviously not the tyre for heavy rain conditions, because the aquaplaning resistance [for the tyre] is not designed for that."
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