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PIRELLI P ZERO SILVER HARD
TYRE MAKES ITS 2012 DEBUT
WHAT’S THE STORY?
The 2012-specification of the P Zero Silver, the hardest and most durable
tyre of Pirelli’s Formula One range, will make its debut at the Malaysian
Grand Prix: a race that pushes tyres to the limits due to extremes of
weather that frequently take in soaring temperatures as well as torrential
rain.
The Sepang circuit is characterised by an abrasive surface that adds to the
demands placed on the tyres, which have to cope with two long straights as
well as several hairpins that test traction.
These extreme requirements make Sepang the ideal territory for the P Zero
Silver, whose resilient qualities have inspired the recently-launched P Zero
Silver road car tyre, which prioritises endurance as well as performance.
Alongside the P Zero Silver hard, the P Zero White medium tyre has been
nominated for Malaysia, which was also seen in Australia. This combination
best covers the wide ranging conditions seen in Malaysia, with the Cinturato
Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue full wet also ready to deal with the
torrential downpours that are a common feature of the track, located just
north of the equator. Even when it is not raining, humidity remains at about
80%, increasing the physical challenge for the drivers.
The increased tyre wear caused by the unique nature of Malaysia could lead
to an increased number of pit stops, with three stops proving to be the
winning strategy last year. However, the compounds used by Pirelli this year
are generally softer and faster.
The hard compound that will be seen in Malaysia this weekend is much closer
in character to the 2011 medium compound, underlining the
constantly-evolving performance of the P Zero covers.
PIRELLI’S MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR SAYS:
Paul Hembery: “Malaysia is one of the biggest challenges that we will face
all year, and that is simply down to the nature of the track and the
weather. We can expect track temperatures of up to around 50 degrees
centigrade and a similar performance gap between the two nominated compounds
as we saw in Australia. Our target is still for that gap to be less than one
second. Malaysia is good for overtaking, and that should fit in well with
the characteristics of our P Zero tyres, which have been specifically
designed to
promote overtaking through a certain degree of deliberate degradation. Tyre
strategy is going to be very important, particularly when it comes to
looking after tyres at the beginning of a stint. Last year the battle for
the podium places went down to the very
last lap, and our objective for this year’s tyres is to encourage even
closer racing, following the thrilling start we saw in Australia last
weekend.”
THE MEN BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL SAY:
Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team: “Sepang is a big challenge and it is also
probably my favourite track of them all. I raced there in 2008 as part of
the GP2 Asia Series and I really loved the circuit. It’s nice and wide, with
fast flowing corners and a lot of undulation which makes it great fun to
drive. The last corner is a tricky one, but I enjoy everything about racing
here. Maybe not the heat and humidity, but that’s just another challenge.
I’m really looking forward to it so that we can capitalise on the potential
we showed in Australia. I have some good memories of working with Pirelli in
the past, when I was a test driver in 2010 at the time when they were coming
back to Formula One. For me, back then, this was a fantastic opportunity to
drive a Formula One car again and get to know the tyres, which were
certainly very different to anything I had experienced before. My goal was
firmly to get back to racing, which I was able to achieve, and I am sure
that this experience with Pirelli helped. Since then a lot has happened: the
moral for me is that you should never give up on your dream."
TECHNICAL NOTES:
• Although the surface in Malaysia offers plenty of grip, any rubber laid
down on the track is frequently washed away by the heavy rain that falls
most days, making the track ‘green’ at the start of each session.
• The tyres on the left side of the car do the most work in Malaysia. The
rear-left tyre is particularly stressed as it ensures traction, with its
temperature rising to a peak of 130 degrees centigrade on the inner edge due
to a lateral force of 3G.
• The Sepang circuit is 5.543 kilometres long, with 56 laps that total
310.408 kilometres. The circuit was inaugurated in 1999 on land that was
formerly jungle.
• The track does not have many
bumps, having been resurfaced in 2007, with a wide variety of corners that
require a medium-downforce compromise set-up. The track layout is not
dissimilar to Barcelona: one of the circuits where Pirelli has tested the
most.
• Last year, Pirelli nominated the 2011 hard compound together with the soft
compound, resulting in a difference of around 1.2 seconds between the two
tyres. This year, the difference should be much less.
PIRELLI IN MALAYSIA:
• Pirelli has been present in Malaysia for more than 30 years. The Italian
firm’s main South East Asia office is in Singapore, less
than 300 kilometres away.
• Pirelli tyres have had plenty of success in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally
Championship, winning the title three times in a row with
the Motor Image Racing team and Subaru driver Cody Crocker.
• Malaysian fashion model Ling Tang, born in Gombak close to Sepang,
featured on the Pirelli calendar in 1997. The theme that year
was ‘women of the world’, shot by celebrated American photographer Richard
Avedon.
Other news from Pirelli:
• ‘Gymkhana’ hero Ken Block took part in a Pirelli winter tyre demonstration
at St Petersburg, Russia, last weekend. The American,
who uses Pirelli tyres for his massively popular viral videos, was driving a
Ford Focus WRC on Pirelli’s Sottozero tyres.
• The GP3 Series, which uses Pirelli control tyres, concluded its
penultimate preseason test last week in Barcelona. Carlin’s
Antonio Felix da Costa was quickest.
• This weekend is also the first round of the Pirelli-equipped GP2 Series in
Malaysia, the official feeder championship to Formula One. Esteban
Gutierrez, who won the GP3 Series with Pirelli in 2010, was quickest at the
final GP2 test. |
