Pirelli has brought its P Zero Orange hard tyre to Malaysia to make its debut at this weekend’s grand prix, and the early signs are that the extra durability could make it the favoured fitment following two free practice sessions on very abrasive asphalt at temperatures nearly hitting 50 degrees centigrade. Despite the harsh conditions, […]
Pirelli is beginning its second three-year stint as Formula One’s exclusive tyre supplier in Melbourne, Australia this weekend, having deemed its new P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft compounds the best suited to the street circuit. Slightly harder and more durable than their equivalents last year, Pirelli believes the tyres will offer decreased degradation, having supplied the new tyres to three winter tests in Spain and Bahrain, but conservatively predicts that most cars will stop two-to-three times.
Pirelli has announced its first batch of 2014 season Formula One tyre compound allocations following the conclusion of its preseason testing schedule in Bahrain. The P Zero White medium tyre and the P Zero Yellow soft tyre will make four and three appearances respectively, while the P Zero Orange hard tyre will come into play in Malaysia only. The softest tyre in the range, the P Zero Red, designed to be at its most effective on the more twisty circuits made from public roads, will not be used until later in the season.
Pirelli recently took its Formula One simulator, designed to replicate a Formula One driver’s grand prix experiences, to Bryn Gwalia County Primary School in Mold, North Wales. The exclusive tyre supplier to the series decided to give eight-year-old Lauryn Robinson, who has been diagnosed with leukaemia, the chance to try out the simulator after watching […]
Entering the final preseason test at Bahrain, commentary from Formula One drivers about the 2014 range of Pirelli tyres has been most noticeable for its comparative scarcity. When drivers have spoken up, their verdicts have been generally indecisive or cautious. Sauber driver Adrian Sutil praised Pirelli’s 2014 Formula One tyres for showing “greater consistency” on the first day of the final test, but has previously been quoted by motorsport news sources bemoaning the tyres’ harder compounds and stiffer constructions.
Pirelli has detailed the characteristics of its Formula One tyre 2014 specification as teams begin their final four day preseason test in Bahrain. The compounds and construction have generally been made stiffer across the range, while the Cinturato Blue wet tyre has increased its water dispersal by five litres per second.
Pirelli is providing a total of 30 sets of tyres for each Formula One team this week, as the second of three pre-season tests gets underway in Bahrain on Wednesday. Warm ambient conditions of around 20 degrees centigrade will provide a marked contrast to the first test of the year in Jerez, which featured low temperatures and rain. Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s Motorsport director said that he expected the test to “allow ourselves and the teams to assimilate more data and knowledge of the tyres.”
Pirelli has released the first details of its Formula One tyre line-up for 2014 ahead of the first winter test in Jerez. The supplier will bring new tyres designed to operate with the wide range of regulations brought in for the 2014 season, which Pirelli describes as a “technical revolution”. Headlined by the presence of […]
Following the 2011 and 2012 Formula One seasons, Pirelli published all the key figures pertinent to its tyre supply. Now at the conclusion of its initial supply agreement, the Italian tyre maker has presented figures from its entire tenure to date. “This year, we wanted to talk about all the numbers from the three-year period […]
This weekend’s F1 round at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit has been described by Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery and racing manager Mario Isola as the “end of an era”. The practice and race events for the Formula 1 Grande Prêmio Petrobras do Brasil 2013 at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace will be the last hurrah for the normally-aspirated engine cars.
Pirelli may have brought two slick compounds to India, but with the medium compound P Zero White performing far better than the soft P Zero Yellow, the Formula One tyre supplier was quick to suggest that getting the required stint on the latter briefly and early in the race was the quickest way to navigate the Buddh International Circuit. The race winner, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel followed this advice and was duly crowned winner of both the grand prix and F1 Drivers’ Championship, making him the youngest ever four-time world champion.
Paul Hembery has given the strongest indication yet of a longer term future in Formula One for tyre supplier Pirelli. While there had been speculation that the manufacturer had secured the supply deal for 2014 only, the company’s Motorsport director told reporters at the Korean grand prix that the exclusive tyre supplier is “working on five years”, meaning Pirelli would be in the series until at least the end of the 2018 season.
Pirelli’s already done much to indicate it will remain the sole Formula One tyre supplier in 2014 and beyond, but so far no official agreement to this effect has been formalised. Yet the tyre maker’s motorsport director Paul Hembery says that much of the work towards a new agreement is complete.
Pirelli’s tyre supply contract for the GP2 and GP3 series has been renewed. The Italian firm has supplied the GP3 series since its inception in 2010 and took on GP2 supply the following year. Comments made by the organiser upon announcing this multi-year renewal for the two Formula One feeder categories – that his philosophy has always been to use the same tyre supplier as F1 – also indicates an official deal for the top-level championship may be imminent.
Pirelli is taking its softest specification P Zero Formula One tyre to Singapore’s street circuit, but in a slight change of tack from 2012 the Italian tyre supplier has opted to take the P Zero White medium compound tyre as the second option. Motorsport director Paul Hembery said the decision was based on the evolving conditions particular to this, the only race to be run at night under street lamps on F1’s calendar, as well as the circuit’s stop-start nature and the fact that it is one of the year’s longest races, leading to heavier fuel loads.
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