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SOFT AND MEDIUM TYRES FOR THE
FAST TURNS OF CHINA
WHAT’S THE STORY?
Tyre strategy will be at the forefront of one of the most technically
demanding races of the year, as Pirelli returns to Shanghai for the Chinese
Grand Prix. Last year, the top three finishers all used different strategies
at a race that was not decided until the final lap – and with Pirelli having
closed up the performance gaps between the compounds this year, the accent
on strategy will now be even stronger.
Pirelli is bringing its P Zero White medium compound and P Zero Yellow soft
compound tyres to China: a circuit is well known for its fast and sweeping
corners, as well as some long straights and heavy braking areas.
All these factors make tyre strategy extremely important, with a three-stop
strategy having provided the pure speed needed to win the race last year.
The medium and the soft tyres guarantee the best compromise between grip and
performance on this circuit, but rain is a common occurrence as well, so the
Cinturato Green intermediates and Cinturato Blue full wets could also make
an appearance. Unlike Malaysia, where the showers tend to be short and
heavy, the rain in China is frequently light but long-lasting, making it
ideal territory for the intermediate.
Pirelli’s motorsport director says: Paul Hembery: “China proved to be
one of the most fascinating races in our first year, with tyre strategy at
the heart of it, so we have a tough act to follow. However, the philosophy
we have adopted this year actually extends the window of peak performance on
the slick tyres, which means that the drivers should be able to race harder
and closer. Although ambient temperatures can be quite low in China, tyre
degradation is traditionally high due to the unique track layout. So
although we have the same nomination as we saw in Australia – medium and
soft – our P Zeros will face a quite different challenge next week in
Shanghai.”
The men behind the steering wheel say: Sergio Perez, Sauber F1 Team: “For
the tyres in Shanghai it is very important to get the car‟s set up right,
especially for the front axle. The long high-speed corners, in particular
turn one, put a lot of load on the front tyres and you have to make sure you
don‟t lose them too quickly. This is what is most important in terms of
tyres for the Shanghai International Circuit. I am very much looking forward
to that race. We have proven that the Sauber C31-Ferrari can be competitive.
Now we have to keep our head down and work hard for further improvements.”
Pirelli’s test driver says: Jaime Alguersuari: “China is a circuit where the
tyre use and strategy makes a real difference. If you want some examples,
just look at last year‟s race: Lewis Hamilton won by making one stop more
than Sebastian Vettel, while Mark Webber had a bad qualifying but made good
use of the tyres that he had saved to end up third.”
▲ “Two corners in particular stand out, where the tyres make a real
difference: the key to getting the best of out them is to properly
understand how the two different compounds behave: to begin with, the first
corner, turn one. This right-hander feels like it is going on forever when
you drive it and the radius gets tighter and tighter, until it turns back on
itself completely. The tyres have to work really hard here in order to
maintain the ideal line.”
▲ “The other key corner is turn 13: the long right-hander just before the
main straight. It‟s a fast corner, which is slightly banked, where the tyres
are increasingly loaded as you accelerate towards the straight and the DRS
zone. Getting good traction out of this corner is vital – particularly in
qualifying – so that you can carry plenty of speed onto the straight, which
is crucial to your lap time.”
Technical tyre notes:
▲ Pirelli will bring the same tyre combination as was nominated for
Australia, the P Zero White medium and the P Zero Yellow soft, but this time
they face a very different challenge.
▲ The circuit layout in China tends to be more demanding than Albert Park,
with a braking area at the end of the main straight for example where the
cars go from 320kph to 68kph in less than 130 metres: a deceleration of 6G,
which is one of the heaviest that the tyres face all year.
▲ The lateral forces on the tyres, in the flowing mid-section of the lap,
are the equivalent of 3G.
▲ The heavy braking that is a
characteristic of China tends to put more strain on the front tyres than the
rears. The fronts are also worked during turn one – which is almost a full
circle – as the cars are relying purely on mechanical rather than
aerodynamic grip.
▲ The surface is medium-grip but less aggressive than Malaysia. The banking
on turn 13 increases the strain on the tyre structure, as the contact patch
can increase to three times its normal size.
▲ Lewis Hamilton is the only two-time winner in China. Apart from him, there
has been a different winner every year since the inaugural race in 2004,
underlining the varied challenges of the Shanghai circuit.
▲ Last year, Sebastian Vettel set the fast-ever lap in qualifying at the
Shanghai circuit: 1m33.706s, using the 2011 P Zero Yellow soft tyre.
Pirelli in China:
▲ Pirelli has two major factories in China, both situated in the Shangdong
province: one for car tyres and one for truck tyres. The latest factory has
been designed with capacity to expand to 10 million units per year.
Production of both car and truck tyres doubled last year.
▲ China has a seminal importance in Pirelli‟s motorsport history. Pirelli‟s
first major international win was on the epic 1907 Peking to Paris road
race, won by Prince Scipione Borghese in a seven-litre Itala.
▲ Pirelli‟s activities in China last year included events such as BMW
Destination X, Ferrari Challenge Asia, the China Rally, and the Subaru
Driver Championship. The Italian tyre firm also sponsored the „Festival
Italiano‟ and a karting competition organised by the Italian Chamber of
Commerce.
▲ Pirelli won two awards last year from China Automobile News: one of the
most prestigious automotive publications in China.
Other news from Pirelli:
▲ Pirelli recently launched a new Formula One application for the iPhone and
Android phones: Pirelli Autodrome. The app offers users a virtual Formula
One experience, with a host of interactive features and is available free of
charge from iTunes and the Android market.
▲ The 2012 FIA WRC Academy, which runs exclusively on Pirelli tyres, was
launched in Portugal. Up-and-coming Northern Irishman Alastair Fisher won
the opening round.
▲ Reigning Italian Rally Champion Paolo Andreucci won the first round of
this year‟s championship, the Rally del Ciocco, using Pirelli‟s asphalt
rally tyres.
▲ Pirelli launched its 2012 motorsport programme last week to Italian media
at the Pirelli Institute in Milan. These other activities include the FIA GT
Championship, as well as the Italian Endurance Touring Car Championship,
Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Maserati Trofeo. |
