Australian GP: Pirelli Grand Prix Preview

By Courtesy of Pirelli
March 15 2016

 
 Pirelli Australian Grand Prix Preview
 
Pirelli Ultrasoft TYre
 

A new season, with brand new tyre rules that are among the most revolutionary in recent history. The teams get more choice, which should lead to more variation and at least two pit stops per race.

THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW:
= Albert Park is a street circuit, making it especially ‘green’ and dirty at the start of
the weekend.
= It’s all about acceleration and braking: the longitudinal forces are greater than the
lateral ones.
= There are lots of slow corners, so the emphasis is on mechanical grip and high downforce.
= Turn 8 (a right-hander) is fast, like the long left-hander between Clark and Waite
grandstands.
= The left-rear tyre is worked hardest – so that is the one the drivers have to look after.
= Weather is always unpredictable: there’s been bright sunshine and torrential rain
in the past.
= The asphalt is reasonably smooth, so tyre wear and degradation is comparatively low.

THE THREE NOMINATED COMPOUNDS:
= White medium: a low working range compound that is one of the most versatile in the range.
= Yellow soft: a high working range compound with the accent on performance.
= Red supersoft: a low working range compound that is rapid but with a limited overall life.

HOW IT WAS A YEAR AGO:
= Winner: Hamilton (one stop: started on soft, changed to medium on lap 25).
= Best-placed alternative strategy: Hulkenberg (two stops: started on soft, changed
to medium on lap 21, changed to soft on lap 44). Finished seventh from 14th on the grid.
= Most drivers stopped just once, with strategies affected by an early safety car.

PAUL HEMBERY, PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR:
= “With far reaching changes to tyre regulations compared to 2015, we expect strategy options to have extended considerably, with more possibilities open not only to each team but also every individual driver. In fact, the tactical decisions for Albert Park already began last year, as each team nominated their tyres: only recently, like a poker game, did everyone have to finally show their hand. By Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, we’ll see who made the right choices.”.

 
Pirelli Tyre
  
THE TYRE CHOICES SO FAR:
	    Purple 	Red 	  Yellow  White     Orange
Australia  	   	Supersoft Soft    Medium
Bahrain    	   	Supersoft Soft    Medium
China 	   	   	Supersoft Soft    Medium
Russia 		   	Supersoft Soft    Medium
Spain 			     	  Soft    Medium    Hard
Monte Carlo
Canada 	    Ultrasoft 	Supersoft Soft
Azerbaijan 		Supersoft Soft 	  Medium
 
Pirelli Australian Preview
 

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Australian GP: Pirelli Grand Prix Preview
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Williams F1
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