The Race F1 Tech Show What can teams learn by running 2026 tyres on mule cars?
Dec 12, 2025
Gary Anderson, a former Formula 1 technical director, and Andrew Bayarji, Atlassian's Customer CTO, dive into the significance of mule-car tests for 2026 Pirelli tyres in Abu Dhabi. They explore how these tests clarify tyre durability under varying downforce. Gary emphasizes the relentless nature of F1 development cultures and the impact of Atlassian's tools on streamlining Williams' operations. Listeners are intrigued by discussions around tyre supplier competition, ride-height adjustments, and the complexities of overtaking in modern racing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Mule Tests Give Limited But Useful Tyre Data
- Testing 2026 Pirelli tyres on mule cars mainly validated tyre durability and construction under lower downforce.
- Mule running gives crude but useful data for Pirelli and helps teams slightly improve simulation correlation.
Center-Pressure Movement Shapes Tyre Loads
- Car centre-pressure shifts and aero characteristics matter more than raw downforce for tyre loading.
- Mule cars can't replicate moving centre-pressure behaviour, so tyre experience will differ on real 2026 cars.
Validate Simulators With Mule-Test Data
- Use mule test data to improve virtual tyre models and simulator fidelity before 2026.
- Validate simulator updates with track correlation runs to avoid development misdirection.