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Chinese Grand Prix has become
well known for providing some exciting races characterised by tyre strategy
in recent years. With fast corners, a smooth surface, and plenty of
overtaking opportunities, the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft
tyres should be well suited to the conditions, which are generally
temperate.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “The weather tends to be
quite unpredictable in China, although generally we can expect to see
temperatures that are significantly cooler than those we experienced in
Malaysia. Last year we had reasonably stable weather conditions in China
whereas in previous years it has been more up and down – so this throws in a
very interesting variable. The front left tyre is the most stressed in
Shanghai, while the traction demands of the circuit also give a lot of work
to the rear tyres. Although we haven’t actually yet seen a very hot Chinese
Grand Prix during our time in Formula One, if you look at the weather
history there is potential for this to happen as well.
This would make things very difficult for the tyres – Shanghai is a big,
open circuit and if you add in heat, it creates a lot of energy – but we’ve
seen from Malaysia that these tyres will rise to the challenge. As Shanghai
is a large circuit there’s plenty of opportunity for overtaking and big
on-track battles. Strategy-wise, we’d normally expect a two-stop race.”
The biggest challenges for the tyres:
Around 80% of the lap in China is spent cornering, which means that energy
is nearly always going into the tyres. The frequent acceleration out of the
corners means that the drivers have to guard against wheelspin. Downforce
levels run by the teams in China are generally medium, in order to maintain
optimal top speeds through both the corners and straights.
Cool weather means that graining can be an issue with both compounds, which
accelerates both wear and degradation, especially at the front. Plenty of
forces go through the front tyres due to the number of high-energy corners –
such as turn one, which is almost a full circle – and the heavy braking
areas, which causes weight to transfer towards the front of the car.
The P Zero White medium is a low
working range compound, while the P Zero Yellow soft is a high working range
compound. This pairing ensures the capability to work effectively under a
wide range of conditions: one reason why the combination has proved to be so
effective. Throughout the banked Turn 13, with maximum downforce pushing
onto the car, the contact patch of the tyre can increase significantly
compared to when the car is stationary.
Last year’s strategy and how the race was won: Lewis Hamilton won the race
using a two-stopper last year, with a soft-medium-medium strategy. As is the
case this year, the race lasted for 56 laps. Hamilton made his first stop on
lap 17 and then stopped for more mediums on lap 38. The top 15 all stopped
twice, with the longest stint on the medium tyre lasting 27 laps and the
longest stint on the soft tyre being 17 laps.
Expected performance gap between the two compounds: 1.2-1.4 seconds per lap.
Expected weather conditions for the race: Temperatures between 11 and 15
degrees centigrade, partially cloudy, with a 10% possibility of rain on race
day. Conditions can vary though.
The Pirelli team choose their race numbers: #12, Max Damiani (F1
chief engineer co-ordinator) “For me, number 12. Two reasons: the Ferrari
T12, driven by Niki Lauda, was the first toy car I was given by my parents
when I was little, so that’s where my link with cars really started, while
Niki Lauda remains one of the best people to work with in the paddock. The
second reason is that stand 12 is where the most dedicated supporters of
Torino, my football team, traditionally watch the game. It’s said that stand
12 is really the 12th man on the pitch as well…” |
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