As the Formula 1 grid has got ever closer, detail differences have become more critical in the fight for wins.

One area that is getting increasing attention is tyre behaviour – and especially how to manage them over race stints better than your rivals.

Teams and drivers have quickly come to understand that there are some special tricks needed to master what Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has labelled ‘Pirelli Magic.’

What he is referring to specifically is a trait that the current generation of tyres have – in that how they behave over a full race stint is entirely dependent on how they are treated in their first few laps out of the pits.

If you go too hard too early, the tyres can overheat and lose performance. But go too slow out of the pits for a nice gentle introduction, then you risk losing track position.

There was perhaps no greater example of this playing out than the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc’s tyres fell away in the closing stages after he had been forced to push hard early in the final stint as he battled with Oscar Piastri.

That late drama was in contrast to drivers like Sainz and George Russell, whose tyres came alive as they had gone easy on them initially.

As Sainz said about this dilemma between pushing hard or going easy: “It’s a very fine line, very tight method to apply.

“You have to play a bit of the Pirelli magic, depending on the track layout and tarmac, even the compounds, as some compounds are more sensitive to them than others.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“You need to then put the strategy into perspective, evaluate if it’s going to pay off to do it now, or is the undercut/overcut too important to risk that introduction.

“You have so many things to consider during those first three laps of the stint: whether you want to spend your coins on those laps or you want to spend them later in the race.

“It’s very easy to misjudge, because you never know what’s going to happen in the future. And you might have wasted your coins in something that was not worth it.”

So what is really going on here to trigger this phenomenon?

The key element of this ‘Pirelli magic’ relates to tyre temperatures, and how that can be so heavily influenced by the introduction of fresh rubber.

As Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola said: “It’s a matter of thermal behaviour of the compound.

“The transition between 70 degrees [which the tyres are warmed to in the blankets] and the running pressure is quite important because you modify the chemical links in the compound, and this can generate thermal degradation.

“If you introduce the tyre in a gentle way for the first couple of laps, you shock the tyre less, you stress the tyre less and you have less degradation.”

As the above graph shows, giving the tyre an easier introduction means the surface temperature does not spike, and that has long-term benefits for the more crucial carcass temp.

Isola added: “It’s mostly about the chemicals. If you put a lot of energy into the tyre and a lot of heat, then you modify your chemical links and this is generating more degradation.”

But while the theory of this ‘Pirelli magic’ is clear, actually being able to deliver it is not so straightforward, because it is not as simple as telling the driver to take it easy for the first laps out of the pits.

Isola added: “It’s not a matter of going slower, because sometimes you need to push a bit more to heat the front tyres.

“So it depends on the set-up of the car. It depends how much you want to protect the rear tyres. If you protect the rear tyres a lot, then you need to heat up the front tyres, so you need to push a bit more. If you slow down too much then the risk is that you don’t have the tyres ready.

“I’m sure it’s a challenge for the teams. They have engineers that are dedicated to understanding how the tyres work and how they can extract the peak performance from the tyres.

“I know that all the teams are instructing their drivers on how to do the out-lap in order to get the best from the tyres. They have the temperatures on the steering wheel, so they know how much they have to push and how much they have to back off in order to have the tyres ready when they want.”

Mario Isola, Racing Manager, Pirelli Motorsport, in the team principals Press Conference

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

It is little wonder that Haas devoted a lot of its running at the pre-season Bahrain test to focusing on this area of race performance.

Team boss Ayao Komatsu said: “For the first two days we thoroughly, thoroughly focused on that.

“That was both from the engineering side, defining how to manage it, and then drivers to execute it as well, and how to feel it.

“We wanted to know that if you do different management, this is the result of it in terms of tyre degradation. It was a team effort and we are still learning.”

But while the ‘Pirelli magic’ is a key focus for everyone now, Isola is clear on one thing: it has become relevant only because other areas of the cars are no longer making the difference.

“It is about how competitive the championship is right now,” he said. “The Pirelli magic is not Pirelli magic, as we are using the same compounds that we used last year when no one was talking about this.

“If you have a big advantage like Max [Verstappen] a few years ago, then you don’t really care if you are in the peak of grip or close to it.

“But if you have to fight for a position and you have three or four drivers within a tenth of a second, then you can understand how important it is to stay in the peak of the grip.”

It is also fair to say that the task is never-ending and getting the ‘Pirelli magic’ spot on one weekend is no guarantee you will get it right the next.

As Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough said: “That’s the balance between my tyre engineers, my strategy engineers, and my drivers that I am juggling the whole time. It’s different track to track, compound to compound.

“So that is what you’re trying to learn on a Friday. So we sort of go into Friday with a ‘Mr. Tyres wants this to happen’ and ‘Mr. Strategy wants this to happen’. What do we agree is the best plan? Then we try to do that…”

Local favourite Jack Miller believes any result is possible at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, given the nature of the Phillip Island venue as well as the weather forecast.

“I think anything is realistic,” said the struggling factory KTM rider ahead of the race weekend, which takes place on a fast track seen as one of the best tests of pure rider ability on the calendar.

“As we have seen many a year here at the island, it’s one of those tracks where even if you are having some slight issues or whatever, you can mask it a little bit.”

This was a sentiment echoed by reigning world champion and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who admitted it will be harder for the Ducatis to exert their advantage at the seaside circuit.

“This track is good for everybody,” said the factory Ducati rider. “The bike here makes less difference compared to other tracks because it’s very fast and it’s more difficult to make the difference. [It’s unlikely we will] see somebody opening up a gap.”

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Despite growing up in the far friendlier climate of Queensland, Miller sees the cold rain and wind expected on Friday and Saturday as an additional opportunity to sneak an upset over the dominant Ducatis.

“It looks like the weather conditions are going to be iffy throughout at least Friday and Saturday,” said Miller. “And the less dry track time, the better for me.

“I feel like we always hit the ground running, but we’ve been struggling throughout the season to make progress from FP1.

“So the least amount of dry track time will help, because our speed is generally there from the get-go – it’s just how to make those micro-improvements through the weekend.

“Fingers crossed, we can get away to a solid weekend.”

Miller has battled with his KTM for much of the season, leaving Tech 3’s Pedro Acosta and occasionally Miller’s factory team-mate Brad Binder to lead the Austrian manufacturer’s challenge to Ducati.

Acosta secured a first pole position at the last round in Japan, but crashed out of both the sprint and the grand prix whilst in contention for a breakthrough win.

“There’s no hiding the fact that I’ve had my issues,” said Miller. “But the boys [Acosta and Binder] are doing a fantastic job being able to ride around it and still put the bike where it needs to be on Saturday and Sunday.” 

VR46 Ducati rider Fabio di Giannantonio will miss the final two races of the year in favour of surgery on the shoulder he injured in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix in August.

The Italian will undergo an operation on his left shoulder after the Thailand Grand Prix, which follows this weekend’s round in Australia.

If all goes to plan, he will race two successive grands prix in Thailand, where the 2025 season kicks off on 2 March.

Di Giannantonio will remain with the VR46 team next year, but will be riding a factory-spec Ducati for the first time in his career.

“We’ll do the surgery after Thailand,” said di Giannantonio. “It’s the best compromise between doing as many races as possible this year and starting next year in the best condition.

“The plan is to be as ready as possible for the Sepang [pre-season] test and then 100% in time for the first race.

“It’s not fantastic for me because it’s never good to miss races. It’s never good to finish the season a bit earlier than the others.

“But at the same time, it’s an opportunity to be 100% physically fit for next year. So we have to accept this and work with it.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I wanted to do as many races as possible. If there was the opportunity to do all the races this year before the surgery, I would have taken it. But it wasn’t possible. The doctor said the limit would be Thailand.

“We also have to work at 100% for these two races so I can finish this year with a nice vibe.”

Despite the operation plan, Di Giannantonio said pain was becoming less of an issue and was upbeat for the weekend’s racing at a circuit where he scored a podium in 2023 aboard his Gresini Ducati.

“I’m actually feeling better already, but inside the shoulder it’s a bit weak. That’s the main reason for the surgery. I hope I can ride with fewer pain killers this weekend!

“This track is just amazing, I love the island vibe and the country too. Last year was super good for us so the goal is to try and get the same feeling on the bike as last year. I really hope to back fighting for the top five and maybe for the podium.”

Di Giannantonio’s best 2024 result thus far has been a fourth place at the Dutch Grand Prix and he sits level on points with his VR46 team-mate Marco Bezzecchi in 10th.

Growing suspicions of a cunning Formula 1 car ride height adjustment trick under parc ferme conditions has triggered an immediate FIA response from this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Motorsport.com can reveal.

Sources have revealed that discussions have taken place between several teams and the FIA over recent weeks to discuss concerns that one unidentified outfit may have found a clever way to adjust front bib clearance between qualifying and the race.

Being able to raise and lower the bib, even by a small amount, between qualifying and the race would deliver a noticeable benefit in terms of perfecting the different ride height requirements between a low-fuel single-lap run and the needs for a heavier car over a race distance.

However, making such an adjustment would be a clear breach of F1’s technical regulations that outlaw changes to the aerodynamic configuration of the car – apart from the front wing – once the car is in parc ferme.

Article 40.2 of F1’s Technical Regulations outlines the components that can be changed, and the only changes in terms of bodywork that are allowed are: “The aerodynamic set up of the front wing may be adjusted using the existing parts. No parts may be added, removed or replaced.”

Article 40.9 adds: “A competitor may not modify any part on the car.”

To ensure that teams do not have devices that allow for easy modifications, the rules add: “it must be clear from physical inspection that changes cannot be made without the use of tools.”

Jo Bauer, Formula One Technical Delegate, FIA

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

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However, the suspicions that have erupted are that a team has designed its car in such a way that it was possible to adjust the clearance of the front bib – also known as a T-tray – through a change of settings inside the cockpit.

This alteration in theory could be easily done by a mechanic during the regular car assessment work that is undertaken between qualifying and the race, and would be undetected to outside observers.

It is understood teams have been alerted to the possibility of this happening through the design details of all cars needing to be uploaded to FIA servers on open-source components – which all competitors have access to.

The FIA has taken on board the concerns of teams about the possibility of such a device and has decided to take action from this weekend’s race in Austin.

But, while the governing body is clear that any such device that altered the front bib under parc ferme conditions would be illegal, it says it has received no conclusive evidence that such a trick has been used by anyone in F1.

However, with immediate effect, the FIA is changing procedures to check on front bib characteristics from Austin – and this could include using seals on any device that is used to alter the T-tray angle.

An FIA spokesman told Motorsport.com: “Any adjustment to the front bib clearance during parc ferme conditions is strictly prohibited by the regulations.

“While we have not received any indication of any team employing such a system, the FIA remains vigilant in our ongoing efforts to enhance the policing of the sport.

“As part of this, we have implemented procedural adjustments to ensure that front bib clearance cannot be easily modified.

“In some cases, this may involve the application of a seal to provide further assurance of compliance.”

The revelation about a potential trick system in F1 comes ahead of an intense end to the season, with six races remaining and the outcome of both titles closely fought.

In 2022, McLaren’s rising star Lando Norris found himself at one of Jack Zimmerman’s restaurants for what was supposed to be a low-key dinner after finishing sixth at the U.S. Grand Prix. The British driver was joined by chart-topper Zedd for a late-night bite at Devil May Care in downtown Austin, which quickly led to the pair jumping behind the DJ booth, with Norris getting an impromptu crash course in mixing tracks. “You don’t tell Zedd he can’t DJ,” Zimmerman, the founder of Nova Hospitality, says with a grin as he recalls the legendary party that eventually spilled next door to his Vegas-style nightclub, Mayfair.

That was the first night I met Zimmerman. It was well past 2am when he ushered me into the glitzy venue where Norris (a hobbyist DJ at the time) was putting on a show for hundreds of racing fans who were thrilled to have scored the hottest after-party ticket in town. But as the celebration raged on, Austin’s undisputed nightlife impresario wasn’t basking in the spotlight. Zimmerman, who has cemented his bars, clubs and restaurants as the hottest of spots when F1 shows up in the Texas capital, quietly slipped away just as the party hit its peak.

That wasn’t always how the hospitality veteran’s nights would pan out.

Jack Zimmerman

Photo by: Nova Hospitality

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Born in London to an American mother and a British father, Zimmerman spent his childhood steeped in the roar of the V12 engines that defined Formula 1 in the mid-90s. “On Sundays as a kid, F1 was always on the TV,” he says. But after moving to Dallas as a teenager, Zimmerman’s love for motorsport faded amid time zone differences that made it difficult to watch races.

He landed in Austin in 2005 to study finance at Texas State University, years before the Circuit of the Americas was even a twinkle in Bernie Ecclestone’s eye. While studying, Zimmerman worked in hospitality: “Back then it was a casual city — lots of small bars and live music, but not much glitz.”

At 24 he found more glitz than any one man can handle, having landed in Las Vegas to work at the Wynn hotel’s XS, one of the highest-grossing nightclubs on the planet. “It was 2010, and the big DJs weren’t really a thing yet. Then suddenly some competition opened up in Marquee [an ultra-club owned by the Tao Group], and we were in this race to book all the big names: Swedish House Mafia, Deadmau5, Avicii. It went absolutely crazy,” he says. “I would show up at 7pm and work until 7am, and I loved every minute of it.”

After four years at the Wynn hotel’s ultra-opulent haunt loved by celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Zimmerman consulted in nightclubs and venues in places like Miami, Dubai, and Shanghai. “Every market is wildly different,” he says. “In Shanghai, for example, people would buy a bottle service table and then sit and play dice. Not a whole lot of dancing — just playing dice and drinking games while spending thousands on champagne and whiskey.”

Yuki couldn’t go two feet without being stopped. It was crazy everywhere these guys went on Sunday night.

Formula 1 changed Austin. When the Circuit of the Americas opened in 2012 about an hour outside the city (two on race day), it re-established America’s place on the F1 calendar after a seven-year trial separation. But the city itself still wasn’t sure what to do with the traveling circus and the first-class-flying party people who came with it.

In 2015 Zimmerman returned home with a plan to turn up the volume on Austin’s boots-and-beers nightlife. He founded Nova Hospitality and channeled what he learned from his tours of duty in Vegas and beyond.

“The first couple of years there were some big parties, but the venues weren’t prepared to support the type of events that the F1 crowd wanted and there was a bit of a drop-off,” Zimmerman reflects. Flash forward to the release of Netflix’s “Drive To Survive” in 2019, and Austin’s relationship with the sport began to shift dramatically. “All of a sudden, people were talking about Formula 1.”

The boom put Nova Hospitality in the right place at the right time. Zimmerman had launched the group with Mayfair and modern Japanese restaurant TenTen before expanding to include boutique nightclub Devil May Care, an event space called LZR, and The Well — a local café chain that’s become a favorite among locals, including Olympic golden girl Gabby Thomas. Zimmerman was then tapped by Sports Illustrated ahead of the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix — the first American race to take place in the midst of F1’s skyrocketing popularity — to produce its sold-out Circuit Series party headlined by Travis Scott and the Chainsmokers. “There was an endless line of people outside trying to get in,” he remembers. “We were just coming out of the pandemic, and ‘Drive to Survive’ was wildly popular. I thought, ‘This is epic.’”

I witnessed the “epic” first-hand in 2022 at that year’s party. Shortly before Post Malone took the stage at Mayfair, a frazzled publicist asked me if a few extra guests could join the table, which was a group of journalists sipping drinks. That’s how I spent the night next partying with (okay, near) Serena Williams, Karlie Kloss, and a swath of celebrities who stuck around until the early hours of Sunday morning — before heading into the F1 paddock that afternoon.

Deadmau5

Photo by: Nova Hospitality

Zimmerman now has an ongoing partnership with his former colleagues at the Wynn who help book headlining talent during F1 weekends at Mayfair. Devil May Care, however, “self-populates with celebs and bigger names,” he tells me. “We don’t need to book anyone big there — it just happens.” Most of the current drivers have come through, too. “I’d say 13 or 14 of the drivers on the current grid have been through with their teams, or their wives and girlfriends.”

“We’ve found that some of these guys value privacy more than others,” says Zimmerman. “Last year we had Max [Verstappen] at TenTen for dinner with his girlfriend on the Monday after the race and it was pretty quiet, nobody bothered them. But one day prior to that, Yuki [Tsunoda] couldn’t go two feet without being stopped. It was crazy everywhere these guys went on Sunday night.”

Last year, Zimmerman escorted one driver from dinner at TenTen to a table at Mayfair, before swiftly moving him to a private room to escape all the fans pleading for a selfie. “We try to communicate with the drivers ahead of time about how much privacy they care for so we can put them in a private section if that’s what they’d prefer,” he says. “Or, if they’re open to it, we can put them front and center … Lando [Norris] is pretty welcoming to that.”

This year is looking more chaotic than ever, with a huge college football game between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the University of Texas Longhorns on Saturday, overlapping with F1’s qualifying and sprint race. Zimmerman expects his Sunday night closing bash, headlined by Diplo, will be over the top.

Lando Norris & Zedd

Photo by: Nova Hospitality

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Maybe it’s the Austin in him, but Zimmerman’s much more relaxed than his nightlife kingpin counterparts in New York or Las Vegas, whose empires have been built on their larger-than-life personas and constant visibility. Speaking of, Zimmerman doesn’t have plans to infringe on their turf, despite his success.

“We don’t have any desire to open venues outside of the city anytime soon, maybe ever,” he says. Which makes sense: the carbon-copy flaming-bottle mega-clubs of the early aughts have given way to places like his: more carefully considered, and part of the city that created them.

Which isn’t to say Zimmerman’s spots won’t give everyone looking for bottle service and heart-thudding beats a place to spend their evenings. Just don’t expect to find Austin’s nightlife kingpin staying up with the crowds anymore. “Things have changed for me,” Zimmerman says. “These days you won’t find me in the venues after 10pm unless there’s something special going on.” At 38, he’s more concerned about longevity and balance than FOMO. “I want to wake up early, have a healthy day, and be ready to do this for the next 10 years without burning out.”