McLaren will have an additional tool in defending the constructors’ championship. The new 2025 Pirelli tires, developed with the aim of enhancing safety, will incidentally lead to reduced graining, one of the few weak spots of Woking’s latest car. The on-track impact will also depend on how McLaren and its rivals adapt their cars, but this change certainly makes the British team’s job easier, albeit unintentionally.
2024 Challenges
“I think our car tends to be very gentle on the rear tires, but when we face graining on the front, we are aggressive, and that has made us a bit uneasy,” Team Principal Andrea Stella commented after the defeat at the last Italian Grand Prix. The new Monza asphalt had triggered front graining issues, putting McLaren in more difficulty than Ferrari and forcing them into a two-stop strategy, handing victory to Charles Leclerc.
The situation was even more critical in Las Vegas. The Nevada circuit was challenging for the MCL38 for several reasons, including front tire graining, as noted at the time by Lando Norris: “It’s a complaint that has plagued me for six years, and we still haven’t solved it or gotten it out of our car. On some tracks where the rear tires are more limited, these problems don’t appear, but we’ve always been one of the worst teams for front graining.”
Graining is a more aggressive wear mechanism than simple surface abrasion. On poorly rubbered tracks and/or with high grip, pieces of tire can stick to the asphalt as the car slides, tearing away from the tire. The risk is greater in low temperatures when the tire material is stiffer and more brittle. Graining depends on how each car works the tires, particularly the suspension design, spring and damper settings, and camber and toe angles. McLaren’s recent cars have been more sensitive to graining than their competitors, with the prospect of remaining so in 2025 unless external factors intervene.
The New Pirelli Tires
In addressing the issue, the Woking team will have an important ally in the new tires, revamped in construction and compound with the aim of reducing graining. “The feedback from this track is positive and in line with our expectations,” commented Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola after the Abu Dhabi tests with the new product. “There’s an improvement in graining reduction. We had already observed this during development tests, so this is just confirmation. It’s not a surprise.”
The changes made by Pirelli, of course, are not intended to help or hinder specific teams, focusing solely on improving safety. “In some cases, graining accelerates wear, and there’s a risk of reaching 100%,” explained Isola. “It’s similar to what happened in Qatar: with very high wear and less tread, the structure is more exposed. If teams have to complete long stints, they run for a long time in these conditions. It’s a situation we want to avoid.”
Simone Berra, Pirelli’s Chief Engineer, delved into the risks of graining during an interview with *FormulaPassion* at the last Qatar Grand Prix: “If 100% wear is very localized, there are no risks of failure, but as it extends, more tread is consumed, and the car runs on the lower structure. Without the tread’s protection, the structure is more exposed. This isn’t a problem in terms of integrity but increases the risk of punctures because even a small piece of debris or stone could cause a puncture, which might lead to an accident.”
Details That Matter
For McLaren, solving the graining issue independently would have been very difficult from one season to the next, as it is inherent to the car’s fundamental design and the way it works. The 2025 Pirellis therefore represent a significant help for the world champions, making their weak point less critical, though not eliminating it entirely. It’s a small but significant detail—one of many that will determine the outcome of the next championship.
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