Pirelli: Soft tyres an “aggressive choice” for Belgian GP

The Belgian Grand Prix gets under way in two days’ time, and Pirelli will bring its P Zero Purple ultrasoft tyres for the first time to Spa-Francorchamps, together with the P Zero Red supersoft and P Zero Yellow soft. This is the sixth time this year that the three softest tyres in the Pirelli Formula One range have been selected – Pirelli says their use in Belgium represents “a more aggressive choice.” And as the weekend’s forecast includes rain, there’s a good chance we’ll also see the Cinturato Green intermediate or Cinturato Blue full wet at some point during proceedings.

“Pirelli was racing at Spa for the 24 Hours last month, which showcased everything this circuit is famous for: changeable weather, unpredictable competition, and heavy demands on the tyres. Now that we are bringing the ultrasoft tyre there for Formula 1, we would expect those demands to increase further with the latest generation of cars: two stops would appear to be a likely strategy but we will know more after the first free practice sessions,” comments Mario Isola, Pirelli’s head of car racing. “Working out the optimal race strategy is especially tricky at Spa as it has to be flexible: the possibility of rain, safety cars, or even a red flag – as we saw last year – means that teams often have to react to changing circumstances rather than follow a fixed plan.”