Pirelli looks forward to Bahrain opener for longest Formula 1 season in history

Pirelli continues its stint as exclusive tyre supplier to Formula 1 as it returns to Bahrain for the first round of the 2024 season on Thursday 29 February to Saturday 2 March. This represents a scheduling change for the usual F1 weekend, with two practice sessions on the Thursday, qualifying on Friday, and the race on the Saturday. This will be retained the following weekend in Saudi Arabia. Formula 1 made the change to accommodate the start of Ramadan on the second Sunday of March. Pirelli says Formula 1 teams arrive in Sakhir with plenty of information about how the car and tyre package works on this particularly abrasive track, where traction and braking stability are key to performance: both on a flying lap as well as on longer runs. Pirelli has selected its three hardest compounds for the P Zero tyres it will supply in Bahrain; the C1 and C2 will be the hard and medium compounds for the race, while the C3 is the qualifying option.