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The basic tyre
regulations for the 2013 season have stayed unchanged from last year, with
each car allowed to have 11 sets of slick tyres over the course of every
race weekend, i.e. six sets of the harder and five of the softer compound.
For each race, Pirelli will nominate two out of the four available dry
compounds in advance: one softer compound and one harder compound.
One set of the harder compound is returned before the start of the second
free practice session, while one set of the harder and one set of the softer
compound are returned before the start of the third free practice
session.From the remaining dry-weather tyre sets one set of each nominated
compound must be returned before the start of qualifying. This leaves the
teams with three sets of each compound for both qualifying and the race, and
the way in which they use these six crucial sets of tyres forms the basis of
the tyre strategy for the weekend.
At the start of the race the top-10 cars must be fitted with the tyres with
which the driver set his grid time. This rule will only apply if dry-weather
tyres were used to set the grid time and if dry-weather tyres are used at
the start of the race. Those drivers in the top 10 who for ever reason did
not set a time are free to choose which tyre they want to start the race
with.
During the race, the drivers have to use each type of tyre at least once
(unless it rains, in which case this rule does not apply). If they do not do
this, they will be excluded. If a dry race is suspended for any reason
before the drivers have used both types of tyre, then 30 seconds is added to
their cumulative race time.
During Friday practice Pirelli has the possibility to provide teams with one
additional set per car of either the harder or the softer compound, if it is
a new circuit or high wear is expected. Alternatively, Pirelli also has the
possibility to supply teams with two additional sets per car of prototype
tyres, for development reasons. In each case, these sets must be returned
before the start of the third practice session.
Wet tyres
Teams are allowed four sets of intermediate tyres and three sets of wet
tyres per race weekend and car if it rains at any point. If it rains during
Friday free practice, one extra set of intermediates is given to each car.
This set has to be returned before the start of the third practice session.
If the race is started behind the safety car, then the teams must all start
on the wet tyre. If it starts raining during the race, then the teams are no
longer obliged to run both slick compounds, and they can change over to
either the intermediates or wets, as they feel is appropriate for the
conditions.
Both the wet and intermediate compounds are available at each round of the
championship and are given to the teams before the start of Friday practice. |
