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WHY WE’VE CHOSEN THE TYRES
* The Bahrain International Circuit will host two distinct challenges on
consecutive weekends, but using the same tyre choice: C2 as the P Zero White
hard, C3 as the P Zero Yellow medium, and C4 as the P Zero Red soft.
* This year’s nomination is a step softer than last year’s, where the vast
majority of the drivers stopped twice at the Bahrain Grand Prix. This was
because drivers focussed on only the two softer compounds nominated in 2019,
feeling that the C1 was too hard. As a result, the softer nomination this
year should bring all three compounds into play.
* The first weekend is the Bahrain Grand Prix, held on the usual Bahrain
International Circuit layout during the late afternoon and evening. The
following weekend is the Sakhir Grand Prix, held at night on a unique short
oval-style outer circuit with only 11 corners, where the lap time is
expected to be less than a minute. At 87 laps, this will also be the highest
lap count of the year.
* The tyres therefore have to cope with two different challenges, which
combine some of the most abrasive asphalt seen all season with some of the
highest average lap speeds of the year (at the Sakhir Grand Prix). Tyres in
the middle of the range have been selected to cope with this very varied
range of demands.
* At the first race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, the teams will have two sets of
2021 C3 tyre to sample on Friday for each car, on top of the usual
allocation for the weekend (two sets of the hard, three sets of the medium,
and eight of the soft). There will be a similar opportunity in FP2 at the
season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a set of C4 tyres for each driver. |
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TRACK CHARACTERISTICS
* This is the very first time that Bahrain has taken place so late in the
season, but temperatures at the start and the end of the year are quite
similar, so data from previous races should still be relevant. One risk
present all year round is sand blowing onto the circuit from the surrounding
desert, which can make the surface dirty and reduce grip.
* Sakhir is a medium severity circuit with a focus on traction and braking
rather than lateral loads and the 3.543-kilometre outer circuit – set to be
among the fastest in Formula 1, with a predicted average speed of around
230kph – should be a bit less demanding on tyres than the standard circuit.
The drivers will work hard though as the short lap will mean a lot of
traffic that could make qualifying and overtaking tricky.
* There will be quite a different approach to free practice at each race.
For the Bahrain Grand Prix, two of the three free sessions are held in the
heat of the day, so aren’t especially relevant to qualifying and the race.
The same is true of the Sakhir Grand Prix, but as this is not only a new
track but a totally new style of circuit, the teams will need to collect as
much tyre and car data as they can by maximising every session. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
"We get to experience something quite different during both weekends in
Bahrain. Perhaps the most interesting challenge will be the Sakhir Grand
Prix, as it’s not like any other circuit where we have raced before: even
though it uses about half of the standard grand prix track. While there’s
some simulation data already, we need to wait for real data from free
practice to understand the exact effect on wear, degradation, and therefore
strategy. On top of that, we’re bringing tyres that are a step softer than
last year, which open up more opportunities in terms of strategy. During the
first weekend drivers will run the new 2021 tyres on Friday with the C3
compound, getting a first proper taste of the rubber they will use next
year. Formula 2 is also back for the final round alongside F1, in a pair of
races with different tyre nominations that will decide the title."
OTHER PIRELLI NEWS
The GT World Challenge Europe, exclusively supplied by Pirelli, has
concluded with the six-hour race. Alessandro Pier Guidi was crowned champion
of the Endurance Cup, driving for Ferrari. |
