Freedom of tyre choice likely to stay - Pirelli

F1 tyre supplier Pirelli is preparing itself for the major changes it faces in preparation of the 2017 season. The Italian company admitted it is going to be the biggest change over its latest foray in F1 which started in 2011 when Pirelli overtook the exclusive supplier role from Bridgestone.

Since this season, Pirelli supplies five different tyre compounds to the teams, allowing each team a free choice between three of those compounds at each Grand Prix. This change was well received and a welcome opportunity for different strategies.

Still, further tyre and other regulatory changes are set to be introduced for 2017. Bigger tyres are going to celebrate their debut to enhance mechanical grip. However, Pirelli is going to keep its range of five different compounds which has proved to be a success so far this season.

„Actually it seems that we keep the five compounds and teams are going to have (the possibility of) choice,” said the company’s manager Mario Isola to motorsport-total.

„However, we have the freedom for change if we think that it is necessary.”

For this year Pirelli provided the teams with a greater freedom in defining the tyre selection for each race. Teams have to inform the Italian company 14 weeks before flyaway races about their choice. As the first race takes place in Australia which is a flyaway race, teams have to decide over their compounds even before the winter tests kick off. It means they take their choices without having tested them.

„If Australia takes place in March and they have to choose (the compounds) 14 weeks beforehand, they have to elect for tyre compounds before the test. We have to speak to the teams about it.”

The bigger tyres mean another challenge for Pirelli. Due to the bigger dimensions they require more space to store and work with.

„We need more space in the paddock, we need an extra truck and an additional container. As they are bigger, we can’t store the tyres as we do now,” concluded Isola.

Pirelli intends to kick off its testing programme for the new-generation tyres in August with the help of Ferrari. The Italian manufacturer is one of the three teams next to Mercedes and Red Bull which builds an interim car for tyre test purposes.