Pirelli believe the 2015 Formula 1 cars will be “two to three seconds” quicker than last season thanks to aerodynamic and engine development over the winter.
Last year saw the introduction of a brand new engine formula, and with no power unit upgrades allowed until the winter, Pirelli’s Paul Hembery believes big steps will have been made.
“Our initial data is suggesting there are going to be some big jumps,” he told Autosport.
“The teams have had the ability to change things over the winter, particularly on the powertrain front, and we anticipate by the time we are in Melbourne, or at the latest China, we will see some pretty significant jumps compared to last season.”
When asked how much exactly, he replied: “We know we are always chasing a moving target – and I think we are talking about maybe being two to three seconds per lap quicker than last season. That is a massive difference.
“It means for our tyres that what was last year a conservative choice might actually be quite aggressive this season.”
Such a gain would put the current cars ahead of those in 2013 which were powered by V8 engines and, at certain circuits, could see the lap record challenged.
