Pirelli opts for softest tyres in Austria
Pirelli prepared for the first Austrian Grand Prix in 11 years by analysing the track surface and racing lines, ending up with the super soft and soft tyre, a combination used for the third race in a row.
The Austrian Grand Prix last appeared on the Formula One calendar in 2003, at the A1 Ring. Eleven years later, the track has been modified and now returns as the Red Bull Ring for round eight of this year’s world championship.
Pirelli will bring its soft and supersoft tyres for the third consecutive race: the same nomination as Monte Carlo and Canada. But the Red Bull Ring is very different in character, with two main straights and mostly sharp corners. As a result, average speeds are generally low, meaning that the cars will have to rely on mechanical grip from the tyres more than aerodynamic downforce. However, with no team having tested on the track, the weekend will be something of a step into the unknown for teams and drivers.
The track alternates very slow corners with high-speed sections. Traction and lateral forces ensure a medium to high level of stress for the tyres, especially in turns five and six.
The Red Bull Ring also requires maximum downforce, in order to try and generate as much aerodynamic grip as possible on a circuit that has quite a low average speed. The effect of the downforce however is to put greater vertical forces on the cars. This is combined with sideways forces when the car goes round the corner, placing a number of different stresses on the tyres.
For Pirelli it's actually an entirely new circuit, one that the company was unable to test at.
Pirelli Motorsport director Paul Hembery: “It’s always exciting to go to a new circuit: everyone starts on a level playing field, with the teams and drivers who dial themselves into the new conditions soonest coming out on top. Based on the asphalt samples and track inspections from our engineers, we believe that the two softest compounds in our range will deliver the best compromise between performance and grip on a circuit where the teams are expected to run high downforce.
"One interesting question mark will be the weather, which is well known for being unpredictable over the circuit. With any new venue, the work done during free practice becomes particularly important, so the teams will be looking to take as much information as possible from the Friday and Saturday sessions in order to assess the behaviour of the tyres on the track with different fuel loads and set-ups. This will be the key to qualifying race strategy. Simulation data suggests that we will see a two-stop race, but this is subject to weather conditions and track evolution, which we will only understand properly after free practice.”
