Pirelli announces first four GP F1 tyre nominations

Pirelli has announced the first set of tyre nominations for the 2015 Formula One season, as promised on Monday after the conclusion of pre-season testing. Using the P Zero White medium compound tyre at all of the first four grands prix, the exclusive F1 tyre supplier will also bring the P Zero Yellow soft tyre to Australia, China and Bahrain, and the P Zero Orange hard tyre to Malaysia’s abrasive Sepang circuit. The P Zero Red supersoft will have to wait until later in the season to be deployed – possibly at the road race GPs.

In Australia, Pirelli will bring the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft compounds. Pirelli commented that the middle two compounds are well-suited to the varied demands and wide range of potential weather conditions experienced at the semi-permanent Albert Park facility in Melbourne.

The Sepang circuit in Malaysia is well known for its abrasive asphalt and high ambient temperatures, making the P Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium the best choice for the second race of the year, Pirelli added.

The P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres are nominated for China, where Pirelli expects comparatively high degradation as a result of the demanding track layout, which leads to close racing and plenty of strategy.

P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft will also be used in Bahrain, a varied circuit tough on the rear tyres, where the grand prix now starts in the late afternoon and ends in the evening. This leads to falling ambient and track temperatures as the race goes on.

Although the P Zero range has evolved from 2014, with a new rear construction designed to distribute forces and temperatures more evenly, these nominations are the same as those made by Pirelli for the equivalent races last year.