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Pirelli is the title sponsor of
the United States Grand Prix, with the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft
nominated: the same trio that kicked off the 2018 season in Australia seven
months ago and has been seen together at three more races since (in
Azerbaijan, France and Austria).
This weekend plays host to a crucial battle in the drivers’ championship,
lending an extra edge to what is already a spectacular circuit with several
unique features, which nonetheless incorporates the best elements of many
existing tracks.
With either race or all-time lap records being broken at 14 circuits so far
this year, the Pirelli United States Grand Prix is ready to be the next one
to make history.
THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW
Pirelli brings the same tyre nomination to Austin as last year although
it’s really a step softer, as all of the 2018 compounds are a step softer
than their 2017 counterparts.
The anti-clockwise Circuit of the Americas contains a wide variety of very
different corners: the right set-up is invariably a compromise.
The most notable feature is the uphill and then downhill hairpin that
forms Turn 1: getting the braking right for it is extremely challenging.
Three long straights can cool the tyres on each lap: keeping them in the
right operating window is essential.
Lewis Hamilton won for Mercedes last year with a one-stopper, while
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was second with a two-stopper. Throughout the
field, there was a mix of one-stop and two-stop strategies. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
“As was the case last year, we expect a few different strategies to be
possible at Austin, but due to the frequently variable weather and wide
range of track characteristics, this is always quite a hard race to predict.
In recent years, the asphalt that made its debut in 2012 has stabilised, but
it will be particularly important for the teams to get a comprehensive read
on the latest conditions in free practice to prepare an optimal strategy.
This isn’t always obvious in Austin, although there are several
opportunities to overtake on track as well, as we saw last year. In 2018,
this race is of particular importance to us, as Pirelli is the grand prix
title sponsor. This underlines the significance of the United States to our
company, with the very first P Zero World store being opened in Los Angeles
two years ago.”
WHAT’S NEW?
At the same time as the grand prix, a newly-organised Fan Festival takes
place in Miami, featuring show runs as well as other entertainments.
The support race programme in Austin includes America’s Formula 4 and
Formula 3 series: both of which use Pirelli tyres to help young drivers
climb the career ladder.
Paolo Andreucci clinched his 11th Italian Rally Championship title last
weekend, in a Pirelli-equipped Peugeot 208 R5. |
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