IndyCar tyre supplier Firestone have mandated a 35-lap stint as a result of limited tyre testing ahead of the series’ return at the Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.
The intention had been to test new tyres ahead of the 2020 IndyCar season due to the addition of the aeroscreen which adds extra weight, but the coronavirus pandemic brought this to a halt.
Supplied by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the aeroscreen will see its debut in Texas, with left-sided tyres from the 2019 Indy 500 set to be used to help manage the added weight.
According to The Race, the right-hand tyres will be similar to those used at the Texas race last season and were tested in August 2019 with “simulated effects of the new aeroscreen”.
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As a result of the situation, IndyCar and Firestone have mandated a 35-lap stint, down from the usual 60.
Ahead of Saturday’s race, an IndyCar spokesperson told The Race: “In a perfect scenario, Firestone would have built and supplied the new tire spec planned for Texas, but as we have all experienced, the global pandemic forced plans to change.
“Despite that, Firestone and IndyCar worked together to evaluate options based on available tyre inventory, data and experience to identify a solution to help the series get back on track this weekend.
“Based on extensive data capture and analysis, experience from tire tests, and input from teams, manufacturers and IndyCar, we collectively decided this was an appropriate number of laps per stint.”