New Pirelli tires for Australian Grand Prix
ERJ staff report (TP)
Milan, Italy – Pirelli will introduce a complete range of new tires for this week’s Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
Following three pre-season tests during which the teams tried out their radical new cars for the first time, the 2014 Formula One season begins in Melbourne, 13-16 March.
With a far-reaching set of fresh regulations in 2014, this is the fourth brand new range of Formula One tires in as many years from Pirelli, underlining the Italian’s firm’s “unprecedented emphasis on technological development”.
Pirelli has nominated the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft compounds this weekend, which are best suited to the Melbourne street circuit. Like all the tires in the 2014 range, the medium and the soft are slightly harder and more durable than their equivalents last year, but without compromising performance.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director, said: “This is the most radical rules shake-up of the modern Formula One era, so we’ve had to create a completely different set of tires for the brand new dynamics presented by the 2014 cars.
“Pre-season testing has shown just what a big challenge these new rules are for everybody, but we have worked very hard throughout last year and the winter to come up with an entirely fresh range of tires specifically designed for these latest-generation cars, featuring new compounds and constructions that actually cut down on degradation while maintaining the same level of performance.
“As a result, we’re still expecting between two to three pit stops per car in Melbourne, although we’ll be able to make some more exact predictions after we see the cars run in free practice. The first race of the season is always unpredictable but this will be the case more than ever in 2014.”
This is an external link and should open in a new window. If the window does not appear, please check your pop-up blocking software. ERJ is not responsible for the content of external sites.
More details in the press release from Pirelli
This article is only available to subscribers - subscribe today
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
- Every issue of European Rubber Journal (6 issues) including Special Reports & Maps.
- Unlimited access to ERJ articles online
- Daily email newsletter – the latest news direct to your inbox
- Access to the ERJ online archive