Pirelli, official tyre suppliers to the FIA Formula One World Championship, have announced the compound allocations of their dry-weather PZero tyres for the first four rounds of the 2011 season.
Following 18,000 kilometres of private testing and three multi-team tests, Pirelli have chosen to take their range’s hard and soft compounds to the opening Bahrain, Australian, Malaysia and Chinese Grands Prix.
The hard rubber will be the prime tyre, with the soft as the option. Pirelli have made the decision in accordance with the track characteristics of the Sakhir, Albert Park, Sepang and Shanghai circuits. All offer high grip and a wide variety of speeds and corners, as well as high ambient and track temperatures.
“The valuable data that we’ve collected from both official and private testing has shown us that our nomination of hard and soft tyres is the best way forward for both the drivers and the spectators, so we look forward now to a successful Grand Prix debut and a great show in the Middle and Far East over the next four races,” explained Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery.
“We’ve enjoyed great collaboration with the teams so far, and with the nominated compounds for the next four races now known, I am sure that this will help to focus their development for the start of the season.”
Pirelli hope the hard tyre will offer an excellent balance between performance and durability in the tough conditions of the first four flyaway races. The soft tyre, meanwhile, is expected to give extra speed at the expense of endurance, which will make for some fascinating strategies as the teams compete with their new cars for the first time.
Pirelli’s long-stated aim is to have two pit stops at every race, helping to increase the spectacle. The Italian tyre manufacturer will be back in action later this week, as the third multi-team test of 2011 gets underway at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya from Friday.
Credit: Formula One Administration Ltd (www.formula1.com)
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