Pirelli reveal compounds for Spain, Monaco, Canada and Austria Hardest two compounds to be used in Barcelona, before Supersofts make 2015 debut in Monaco By William Esler please log in to view this image Pirelli have revealed the tyre compounds that will be used during the forthcoming grands prix in Spain, Monaco, Canada and Austria. The choices are the same as in 2014, but the Italian firm feel they will be more aggressive picks as “with the cars going faster this year, there is more energy going through the tyres”. At the Circuit de Catalunya the two hardest compounds in the range – the orange-marked hard and the white-banded medium – will be used for the second time this season, having been previously used in Sepang. Pirelli have plenty of tyre data from Barcelona with the circuit having staged eight days of pre-season testing, but the temperature in May will be much warmer than that of February. The two softest compounds available – the red-marked supersoft and the yellow-banded soft – will then be used for the subsequent three races in Monaco, Canada and Austria. Pirelli’s 2015 tyre choices so far: Australia: Soft, Medium Malaysia: Medium, Hard China: Soft, Medium Bahrain: Soft, Medium Spain: Medium, Hard Monaco: Supersoft, Soft Canada: Supersoft, Soft Austria: Supersoft, Soft
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/32672072 Serious consideration now being given to Force India's suggestion that team's should be free to choose their own compounds. Bringing it in this season would be a bad move in my opinion, but I hope it goes through next season and I hope they get it right first time. I think there should be a deadline for teams to order their tyres, so they can continue to be transported by sea freight rather than air. For me, stuff like this is exactly why this rule should be brought in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22905355 The optimum tyre compounds should be taken to each grand prix, if the teams are choosing their own then they can have no complaints. There's also the fact that different cars work the tyres differently, so what is optimum for one team may not be for another. I think 90% of the time teams would select what Pirelli recommend anyway, but there will be times where it eliminates any question of a team being hard done too, or creates an extra element of interest when a team selects a different compound. Also for what it's worth, I'd like to see the teams given absolute freedom over what tyres they take. If they want to take a set of super softs, two softs, three mediums and two sets of hards then they should be allowed. I also think the mandatory pit stops should be scrapped as well as the need to use two compounds and start on the set you used in Q2 if you get through to Q3 (crazy rule). The sport's over-regulated in this area, taking away some of these rules would lead to purer racing, and probably a better show as well.
I'd be all for teams picking their own compounds and they can bring it in any time for me. It'd potentially mix up the racing a bit.
Wish they'd make a tyre to last all race, make everyone use it and get rid of tyre changes altogether. Get back to racing.
Whilst it might be artificial, I'd guess half the overtakes we see are a result of drivers coming out of the pits behind a slower car. If the teams could hammer a tyre for the whole race, and never pit, then we'd just see the gaps grow and grow after the first couple of laps.
Brundle trying out some 18" Pirellis on a GP2 car. They look great, they really do. Safer too because the whole tyre-rim assembly will weight a lot less meaning they're less likely to cause serious injury if they detach.
General tyre query I thought I'd just drop in here. Does anyone know if the FIA check tyre pressures before a pitstop? They're clamping down on what the teams can start the race on but is there anything in place to stop them bolting on sets of underinflated tyres for their second and third stints?
Presumably the Pirelli man in each garage would kick up a stink, but it'd certainly be harder to test than the tyres for the start.
What are peoples thoughts on Pirelli getting the exclusive deal up to and including 2019 ? I think a tyre war is just what F1 needs , having said that , I wish some would stop criticizing Pirelli for the tyres they produce . They are providing exactly the type of tyre that the powers that be are asking them to provide . I have no doubt at all that if Pirelli were left to do their own thing ( or any other manufacturer ) , we would love it ! Two Manufacturers is still the best option though IMHO .
I thought that tyre pressures are part of the telemetry system that I believe FIA have full access to. So I suppose teams could miss calibrate the sensors and provide misleading data. They would be really stupid to do something so obvious but it wouldn't be the first time teams have cheated!
I do agree Pirelli have been doing a reasonable job at doing what they have been asked for. The problem with multiple tyre companies is that there is relatively little in season testing. So the competing tyre companies would be pressured into producing tyres that would be pushing their boundaries and there may be safety issues there. Remember 2005 US GP where Michelin runners couldn't run as the tyres were too marginal!!!! It will be a long time before Bernie risks that again.
Fair Comment . I just feel a tyre war would spice things up a bit , even if they had the same restraints , surely there would be some differences ? As regards Michelin in 2005 , doubt it would have been an issue in traditional circuits . Just IMHO mind .
Pirelli rethink tyred-out formula Sky F1's Mark Hughes on the demands being placed on Pirelli as they try to find their place in F1's post-2017 revolutions please log in to view this image Pirelli's 2015 tyre compounds With the confirmation of Pirelli continuing as sole F1 tyre supplier until 2019, so the tyre company is getting involved in re-assessing the type of racing that its tyres are attempting to encourage. The F1 technical regulations are set to be drastically re-written for 2017 to create cars around five seconds per lap faster than the current machines - partly through wider tyres. So attention is now being focussed on a better compromise between the sort of high tyre degradation races seen in the initial races in the Pirelli era in 2011 - where the drivers had to deliberately drive whole seconds off the pace in order to get the optimum stint lengths for the best strategy - and racing that could see the world's fastest drivers able to be on the limit throughout the race. "At the moment we are in a sort of half-way house between those two approaches," said Pirelli's Paul Hembery in Sochi. "But we are not happy having one-stop races and that is something we are looking to address." As an interim measure for 2016 the range of compounds is being extended to five, with free choice given to the teams of which two compounds they will use at each race. But longer term, with the wider tyres of 2017, a more fundamental re-assessment is coming.
It was 2013 when this was happening, the 2011 races tended to be flat out 3-4 stop races. The gaps between compounds were a bit of a mess in 2011, but otherwise they were the best tyres Pirelli produced. The wear on them seemed to be physical, they didn't have the narrow operating windows they've had since which means the tyres overheat when they're pushed too hard. I'm now of the opinion that Pirelli couldn't produce decent tyres if they wanted too. The fact their tyres still aren't structurally sound after six years is proof of this.
