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The hypersoft – the fastest and
softest tyre in the Pirelli Formula 1 range, which has broken lap records at
every race it visits – now comes to Russia, in combination with the
ultrasoft and soft. This is the same nomination as Singapore, with a ‘step’
between the compounds, because the supersoft is missed out. This should
again have the effect of opening up the strategy possibilities by ensuring
quite a wide but equally spaced performance gap between the compounds.
However, with Russia being a very different type of track to Singapore,
there will be many unpredictable elements still to discover from the
weekend.
THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW
- The Sochi circuit was well-known for being very smooth and slippery when
it made its debut in 2014, but since then the asphalt has matured – albeit
not quite as much as expected, due to the extremes of temperature between
summer and winter in Sochi.
- The race returns to an autumn date, as it was up until 2016.
- Wear and degradation levels are generally low, but the hypersoft is
effectively two steps softer than the softest compound brought to Russia
last year: the 2017 ultrasoft.
- Last year’s winning strategy was a one-stopper: Mercedes driver Valtteri
Bottas took his first-ever victory in Formula 1 by going from the ultrasoft
to the supersoft on lap 27.
- The most demanding corner, which takes the most out of the tyres, is Turn
3: a multi-apex left-hander.
- The front-right tyre works hardest over the course of the 5.848-kilometre
lap, which puts the emphasis on traction and braking. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
“With another step between the compounds and the same nominations as
Singapore, we hope to see the same sort of strategic variations that we had
at the last race, but in a very different context at the Sochi circuit. This
is a low severity track, with a smooth surface featuring low wear and
degradation, and it’s in theory the ideal playing field for the hypersoft.
However, as this tyre has never been run in Russia before, the teams are
going to have to understand its characteristics as quickly as possible
during the free practice sessions in order to see how it would fit into a
potential race strategy. It's going to be interesting to see how the Pink
hypersoft will work on this track, especially through the demanding Turn 3.”.
WHAT’S NEW?
- Formula 2 and GP3 resumes at the final race close to Europe of the year,
after missing Singapore.
- Russian driver Alexey Lukyanuk was confirmed as European Rally Champion
after the Rally of Poland last weekend. It’s the fourth year in a row that
Pirelli has clinched the European title.
- Pirelli completed another 2019 tyre development test last week, with
Mercedes and Ferrari at Paul Ricard. The next test will be straight after
the Japanese Grand Prix, with Renault at Suzuka for two days. |
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