Bahrain GP: Pirelli GP Preview

SOFT AND MEDIUM TYRES FOR THE FAST TURNS OF CHINA

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Bahrain will be one of just three circuits that Pirelli is yet to visit in competition this year, but unlike Hockenheim in Germany and the United States Grand Prix, the Italian firm has experience of the Sakhir track through two tyre tests that were carried out there in December 2010 and January 2011, as Pirelli geared up to its Formula One return. On the first occasion, the test was interrupted by a sandstorm that blew sand onto the track and stopped the test car running: a situation that highlights one of the most prominent characteristics of the Middle Eastern circuit, which is located in the middle of the desert.

Sand frequently gets onto the track and reduces grip, but it is very hard to predict when and where. Pirelli will bring the P Zero White medium tyres and P Zero Yellow soft tyres to Bahrain: the same combination used in Australia and China.

The Sakhir circuit will revert to its original 5.412-kilometre track layout in 2012, having used an extended loop the last time that the race was run in 2010. The 15 corners and variable track width provide ample opportunity for overtaking. Traction and braking form the main challenges of the circuit, with the cars going from 315kph to 65kph in just 130 metres and three seconds at turn one. This generates forces on the tyres equivalent to 5G. The surrounding sand means that the track can be very dirty, especially at the beginning of the weekend, so it is very important for drivers to stick to the racing line, particularly on the fast but twisty section from turns four to seven.

Pirelli’s motorsport director says: Paul Hembery: “There are a number of technical challenges that we are anticipating for Bahrain, with the hot conditions in excess of 30 degrees centigrade putting the compounds into a different working range. We‟ve gathered some data from the track as the result of our tests there in the past, but the tyres and cars have changed so much since then that it is almost like starting again with a blank sheet of paper. However, we‟re expecting a notable degree of degradation that should certainly test the teams in terms of strategy. With the circuit not having been frequently used, we are anticipating quite a high degree of track evolution over the course of the weekend. The risk of sand on the track can be an issue, as it takes time to clear and can cause graining. So tyre management will again be crucial in Bahrain, with rear traction in particular the key to a strong qualifying and race pace.”

The men behind the steering wheel say:

Pedro de la Rosa, HRT: “The Bahrain International Circuit is very tough on the rear tyres because there are many first, second and third gear turns where you need plenty of traction and grip, and the tyres suffer a lot as a result. That‟s why it‟s a good track for tyre testing. We tested there with Pirelli twice, when I was the test driver. It was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed it a lot, as we even got struck by a sandstorm! I‟ve experienced rain, hail and even snow but I‟ve never encountered a sandstorm in a Formula 1 car, so that was quite incredible…The track is also tough on the brakes because you have turns such as the first, fourth and last one where you brake very hard, going from seventh to second gear. It‟s a great circuit for overtaking with the kilometre-long main straight, another long one between turns one and four and a final incredibly long straight between turns 13 and 14. How the DRS works is also very important: with DRS and slipstreaming, overtaking should not be a problem. The wind in Bahrain has a big influence on the behaviour of the car and braking, so when you go from 320kph to 70kph, if you get it wrong by a couple of metres, it‟s very easy to lock the front tyres and get a flat spot, and this is a common sight on turn one in Bahrain. You must try to reduce camber as much as possible, in order to put the maximum amount of the surface of the rubber on the asphalt to achieve good braking and traction. You need to reduce downforce because of the large number of straights. It is quite a standard circuit in terms of pit stops. I expect teams to carry out two-stop strategies since the tyres are holding out longer this year and the new Pirelli profile is very beneficial to make the most out of the rubber.”

Pirelli’s test driver says:

Lucas di Grassi: “I'll always have very good memories of Bahrain, as in 2010 it was where I made my debut as a Formula One race driver, with Virgin. Bahrain is very challenging when it comes to tyre consumption and car set-up. There are some long straights so you need to have a balanced compromise, but achieving the best possible traction is definitely the key to a good lap time. Using the DRS together with the tyres effectively will be essential for qualifying. In particular, getting a really good exit from the corners onto the straights is a sure way to make up time. If you spin the wheels, that takes life out of the tyres as well as slowing you down. Bahrain is always quite an unpredictable circuit in terms of track evolution. The sand is a very big factor. When the sand is blown onto the track, this decreases the grip and the effect is to make the car slide more, increasing tyre wear.”

Technical tyre notes:

▲ The asphalt surface, made up of 60,000 tonnes of imported granite from England, offers good grip when clean and is classified as medium in terms of abrasion.

▲ Fernando Alonso is the most successful driver in Bahrain with three victories to his name, followed by his Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa. Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button are the only other winners.

▲ The first corner is a critical one. It‟s important to exit turn one cleanly in order to make the most of the left-hand kink that follows and get a good drive onto the straights. Many places are won and lost here at the start..

Pirelli in Bahrain:
▲ Pirelli‟s office in Bahrain is located in Manama, the downtown capital of the Gulf state. While there is no manufacturing facility in Bahrain, the P Zero Ultra High Performance range for road-going sports cars, as well the Scorpion range of SUV tyres, are best-sellers in the region.
▲ Pirelli supplied tyres to the GP2 Series for the first time last year. This year, GP2 comes to Bahrain for a double-header: as well as this weekend‟s race, there will be a race next weekend as well.
▲ Following Pirelli‟s first scheduled five-day test in Bahrain in December 2010 to finalise the 2011 slick tyre specifications, which was interrupted by the sandstorm, the team returned for a further three days in January. As well as Pedro de la Rosa, Romain Grosjean also drove Pirelli‟s Toyota TF109 test car during the December Bahrain test.

Other news from Pirelli:
▲ Pirelli was recently rated top in the „performance sport‟ category of the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study in the United States. The J.D. Power survey is one of the most highly regarded independent surveys in the automotive industry, strategically designed to reveal what real owners think about the products that they use.

▲ The opening round of the FIA GT Championship, supplied exclusively by Pirelli for the first time this year, took place recently at Nogaro in France. The Audi pairing of Stephane Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor won both races, which were held in wet and dry conditions that required the use of Pirelli‟s full range of tyres.

▲ The final pre-season GP3 test concluded at Silverstone last week, with the drivers using Pirelli‟s hard GP3 tyre, along with the rain tyre. New Zealander Mitch Evans set the fastest time. The GP3 Series, supplied exclusively by Pirelli, gets underway at the Spanish Grand Prix weekend from 11-13 May.

▲ Pirelli joined forces with the CSAI – the Italian motorsport federation – to offer a young driver at least four fully-paid events on the Italian Rally Championship this year in a Peugeot 207 S2000. The first winner of this scholarship is 25-year-old Stefano Albertini, who will drive on the Mille Miglia Rally during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend