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WHAT’S THE STORY?
Pirelli’s new supersoft tyre made a thrilling debut in Monaco and now the
same two nominations return for the Canadian Grand Prix: the PZero Red
supersoft tyre and the harder PZero Yellow tyre.
Like Monaco, Canada is a semi-permanent facility but the Circuit Gilles
Villeneuve is faster with a low-grip surface: two parameters that have a
far-reaching effect on tyre wear. There are also areas of heavy braking and
maximum traction, which are also important parameters when it comes to tyre
behaviour.
Consequently long stints of more than 50 laps on the PZero tyres, as seen in
Monaco, are unlikely and instead there will be a return to wheel-to-wheel
sprint racing. Tyre wear is a critical factor at the Montreal circuit,
traditionally making Canada one of the most entertaining races of the year.
Since its inauguration in 1978, the track has undergone a number of changes,
notably some resurfacing before last year’s grand prix and the addition of
some new and higher kerbs in 2005: both of which influence the way
that the tyres behave.
With the track hosting only two major races per season – Formula One and
NASCAR – there is a marked evolution in terms of grip over the course of the
weekend as more rubber gets laid down on the surface.
On Friday, drivers will be given two additional sets of Pirelli’s new medium
compound slicks to evaluate for the future during the two free practice
sessions.
PIRELLI’S MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR SAYS:
Paul Hembery: “Monaco was a fantastic race, with three drivers battling
closely for the win even though they were using three very different
strategies. From the data we can see that Sebastian Vettel’s tyres would
have gone the distance if he had continued to drive on them in the same way
that he had been doing up to the red flag period. This means that he could
have covered 62 laps, the equivalent of more than 200 kilometres, on the
PZero Yellow so ft tyre, with an extremely close finish. The characteristics
of Canada mean that we’re unlikely to see a one-stop strategy this weekend,
but we’re hoping that the racing will be just as close and that the
opportunities for overtaking will give teams even more possibilities than
Monaco in terms of race strategy. The pure performance of the PZero tyres
was demonstrated by the fact that we were able to set the fastest-ever
qualifying lap of Monaco, adding to our record of success, which now
includes more than 50 grand prix wins throughout our time in Formula One.”
THE MEN BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL SAY:
Rubens Barrichello (Williams): “The Montreal circuit can be hard on tyres
because the cars run on low downforce and the tarmac is quite low grip. The
track has some change of direction, is very hard on brakes and has two
hairpins that make good traction very important. Turn One, for example, is a
corner that you carry a lot of speed into and then you brake hard into the
hairpin in first gear. The minimum speed is low but traction is hard on
tyres. There are a lot of hard braking areas throughout the lap. I love the
circuit
and racing there is always good. I look forward to racing on the Pirelli
PZero tyres in Canada.”
TECHNICAL NOTES:
* Canada is one of the most
complex tracks of the year to predict due to its wide variety of grip levels
and inconsistent surfaces. This results in a high and sometimes uneven
amount of tyre wear, putting the accent firmly on durability and strategy.
* Michael Schumacher has dominated the Canadian Grand Prix in the past,
winning seven races in Montreal. The next most successful driver in Canada
who is currently competing is Lewis Hamilton, with two wins. It was also
where the McLaren driver took his first pole and first win.
* Last year there were 61 pit stops in Canada, working out at an average of
2.5 per car.
PIRELLI IN CANADA:
* Pirelli has been present
in Canada for a number of years, but the Italian company only has one
manufacturing facility in North America. Appropriately enough this is in
Rome – but Rome, Georgia.
* Pirelli won the Canadian Grand Prix in 1991 with Nelson Piquet in a
Benetton-Ford, from eighth on the grid. It was the Italian company’s last
win in its previous era of Formula One and Piquet’s second victory with
Pirelli.
* Due to the cold winters in the Quebec region (where the grand prix is
held) in particular, some of Pirelli’s best-selling tyres in Canada include
the Sottozero range. These include the Winter Carving Edge, a studdable tyre
for Canada that was developed and tested in the Arctic for maximum control
and stability. |
