Originally Posted by
Grumph
I can answer some of it. The factory - Michelin - mandate a minimum pressure which is monitored by a sensor in the rim. You're allowed a certain no of laps under the minimum before it incurs a penalty. The teams set the start pressure such that once warmed it should be above the minimum. Getting it above is predicated on being able to load the tyre enough to raise it's temp and thus pressure. If it's a cold day or changeable conditions you may not be able to get it warm enough.
This seems to be what's happened here.
It's complicated by the tyre performance falling off when the pressure goes too high. The teams will always try to run the tyres at the lowest pressure possible as this gives the best performance and rider feedback.
The minimum pressure set by Michelin is what they're happy to see the tyre used at. The aero used now is generating quite high downforce and Michelin is worried that overloading a tyre which is not up to pressure could see it come off the rim.
My own opinion is that they could safely drop the minimum a tad - but I'm not a tyre engineer, just a user.
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