Pirelli reveals tyre choices for the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP
Pirelli announced the individual tyre choices for the last GP weekend of the 2016 season. The pattern shows that the various teams opted for similar tyre selections as the season is nearing its end. Championship rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton will start the weekend with the same selection.
The Italian tyre manufacturer which has supplied the pinnacle of motorsport with its products since 2011 opted for the softest compounds of its range for Abu Dhabi. It means teams could choose from the ultrasoft, supersoft and soft compounds.
The softs and supersofts were nominated as the mandatory race tyres. That means every driver must have one set from both compounds available for the race, one of them must be used during the race.
The ultrasoft is the nominated qualifying tyre and therefore one fresh set must be available for the last qualifying segment.
There are no big difference across the drivers in terms of tyre selection. Every driver opted for seven or six sets of ultrasofts with only one exception as Nico Hülkeberg went more aggressive with his eight sets of the softest compound of the range.
Most of the drivers ordered three or four sets from the hardest compound available on the Abu Dhabi circuit.
Interestingly, Vettel, Massa and the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso ordered only one set from the supersoft compound which is one of the mandatory race tyre. Theoretically it could be used before the race, although it is possible that those four drivers will not complete any running on the supersofts in any practice sessions or in qualifying.
The two championship drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton chose the very same tyre selection for the finale.
