Marrafuschi points to the circumstances: "You don't understand it as well on TV, but Formula 1 cars generate much more 'spray' than 20 years ago. Because the more aerodynamics you have, the bigger this problem becomes."
Furthermore, from a purely tire perspective: More water displacement means better ground contact, but also more spray.
And with that, the limit of conditions in which racing can still take place shifts downwards. If it's too wet for intermediates, it's (currently) too wet for an F1 car.
Pirelli is committed to development, but that takes more time – and testing time is a limited commodity: "It's also not as simple to test in wet conditions as in dry ones."
A test laboratory like no other
With that, Marrafuschi also answers the question of what a tire brand actually gains from such a presence – especially when there's no competition to beat?
Formula 1 is still the best open-air laboratory in the world, even though technology transfer from there to the road isn't direct.
And it doesn't need a competitor for that. "Previously, the challenge was to tailor the tire to a specific car. Now, backmarkers and top teams alike need to get a product that works equally well for eleven teams."
Digitalization thanks to Formula 1
However, development is no longer solely "open-air." With Pirelli's return to Formula 1, digital product development was introduced, and since then, a large part of every tire is created on screen.
This also applies to road products, marking the biggest overlap with "daily business": "Today, so much technology is involved in the process, making everything faster and more precise," says Marrafuschi.
The most direct connection to the road lies in the materials – and the development and manufacturing processes. For instance, digital development tools have helped to design road products in this way within four years.
"We now understand rolling properties, wet performance, and noise development much better. And this has definitely been accelerated by the challenge we have in Formula 1," Marrafuschi is convinced.
Because nowhere else is the strain on a tire higher than here. If development directions pass this "acid test," they also pass on public roads.
The future is barely foreseeable
The tire industry is extremely fast-paced in its details. Pirelli's motorsport director has to leave the question of what a Formula 1 tire will look like in ten years unanswered.
It should be more sustainable, naturally. "When we talk about sustainability, it mainly refers to manufacturing processes," Marrafuschi explains.
Since 2024, Pirelli's F1 tires have carried the "FSC" certificate, which certifies the use of natural rubber according to ecological and social criteria. The entire portfolio of everyday products is gradually to follow this example. The conversion has already been completed in European factories.
F1 tires at the playground
The question of disposal remains. What actually happens to the used Formula 1 tires?
"First, we collect them all again, because, of course, we don't want the technology to circulate freely out there," the Italian admits.
Details about the further recycling process and subsequent products remain secret, but roughly explained: "The tires are destroyed to recover raw materials. This can then be found, for example, in playground surfaces. In ten years, there will certainly be even more applications."
So, it's quite possible that the children next door are currently playing on former Formula 1 tires.
