After Red Bull alleged that several F1 teams injected water into their tires during the Singapore Grand Prix This weekend, Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli launched an investigation to verify these claims. Pirelli has concluded its review, confirming that no evidence has been found to support the claims.

Concerns have arisen that some teams have developed a method of cooling their tires mid-race by injecting water through the valve system. This speculation intensified after moisture was reportedly detected in the rims during tire removal after the Marina Bay Grand Prix.

In response, FIA single-seater technical chief Nikolas Tombazis reportedly discussed the issue with Pirelli at the Brazilian Grand Prix and oversaw tire checks after the sprint race at Interlagos. According to the official technical checks report, all tires examined after the sprint were found to be fully compliant with the regulations, dispelling any immediate doubts.

Revealing the findings of the investigation, Mario Isola, head of F1 and motor racing at Pirelli, told the media:

“I don’t see anything strange in the data we have. I have no proof.

“Obviously, as I said, it’s up to the FIA ​​now to decide what to do and tell us whether we can support them, because at the end of the day the only thing we can do is support them.”

“If we can do anything to check or to give them advice on a possible situation, we are there to support them.

“I’m not aware of any problems, but I’ve heard the story and also tried to understand why this should be done, and now I have an idea. But for the rest, everything is in the hands of the FIA.

Isola added that while it is easy to inject water into tires, several factors come into play that affect tire pressure. He explained:

“How to do this is very simple.

“You have a valve – and you just put water in it.

“But how the system works is another story. It is essentially a thermal effect: transfer of heat between the tire and the rim which should give more consistency or less degradation to the tire, even if we control the pressure less well.

“Obviously, if you have steam inside the tire, you lose control of the pressure because you have higher pressure.”

The Pirelli official confirmed that the tires are filled with dry air before being distributed to teams, and that any alteration by adding water would violate a technical directive established several years ago. He added:

“The TD came a few years ago when there was a discussion about it.

“There was also a discussion about special gases where it was suggested that some teams were changing the gas in the tires to better control the pressure.

“Then someone started talking about moisture in the tire and why we should have more or less.

“We provide the tires with dry air inside. We have a dryer connected to our system, and they receive all the tires with dry air, as required by regulations.

“In the technical directive it is written that any modification is prohibited, and that is very clear. But then you need to have clear evidence if you find yourself in a situation like this. »