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For the third race in
succession, the P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres have been
nominated. The demands on the tyres are relatively low, with two straights
and reasonably slow corners. The Austrian Grand Prix reappeared on the
Formula One calendar for
the first time in 11 seasons last year, meaning that the teams will now be
able to use the data from 2014 when it comes to formulating the optimal
strategy. After the Austrian Grand Prix, the final two day in-season test of
the year will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “Austria ends the run of
soft and supersoft nominations that we see towards the middle of the season,
on quite a diverse variety of tracks. The tyre strategy will depend on some
extent to the weather: if it is warm we are more likely to see two stops,
whereas if it’s cool the balance might shift towards a one-stopper. Rain is
also a distinct possibility in Styria at this time of year, as we saw during
free practice last season, so the teams will basically have to be prepared
for everything. This year, the drivers head to the Red Bull Ring with real
data about the track
for the first time, which will help them find the most efficient way to use
the tyres.
Obviously our aim is always to have between two and three stops at every
race, so this is something that we will monitor carefully in future when it
comes to nominations: we do have the possibility to make some minor changes
if required. We’re only expecting a small time gap between the two compounds
in Austria, so this opens up a number of different possibilities as to how
to run the race strategy.”
The biggest challenges for the tyres:
The surface at the Red Bull Ring is low grip and low abrasion, with the
track getting progressively quicker as the weekend goes on. Even though the
asphalt is new, the track is quite bumpy in places, which makes it difficult
to find consistent grip.
Gaining traction out of the corners is a particularly important aspect of
the Red Bull Ring, as there are a number of slow corners leading onto faster
straights. A neat approach to finding the apex, in order to get onto the
power afterwards as quickly as possible without spinning the wheels, is
vital to maximise tyre life.
The supersoft tyre is a low working range compound, capable of achieving
optimal performance even at low temperatures. The soft tyre is a high
working range compound, suitable for higher temperatures and more strenuous
track conditions. Both warm and cool conditions are possible in Austria.
The Spielberg circuit runs in a clockwise direction, but there are two very
significant corners (turns 5 and 6) that place considerable stress on the
tyres on the right-hand side of the car.
Last year’s strategy and how the race was won: Most drivers did a
two-stopper last year, although three managed a one-stop. Race winner Nico
Rosberg (Mercedes) started on the supersoft, changed to the soft on lap 11,
then to the soft again on lap 40. His strategy allowed him to win even
though he started from third on the grid.
Expected performance gap between the two compounds: 0.7 - 0.9 seconds per
lap.
The Pirelli team choose their race numbers: #9, Luigi de Candia (Information
Technology) “I don’t think I have much in common with Marcus Ericsson, but I
would still choose number 9. It’s the number I played football with when I
was younger, and I’ve always liked it ever since.” |
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