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TYRES ON THE
TRACK
* The P Zero White hard is the C2 compound, the P Zero Yellow medium the C3,
the P Zero Red soft is the C4: these are the three tyres nominated for the
French Grand Prix this weekend for Paul Ricard.
* The France F1 Grand Prix venue is a quite well-balanced circuit, where
there is a bit of everything: fast corners and flat-out straights as well as
slower and more technical sections. All of that is placing medium-severity
energy loads on the tyres, which is why it makes a good test track. At 12
metres wide, there are plenty of options when it comes to lines and
overtaking: all providing an interesting challenge for the drivers.
* The Mistral straight – named after the famous French wind, which can also
disrupt the aerodynamic balance of the cars – also has the potential to cool
the front tyres down. This can affect the turn-in at Signes immediately
afterwards: the most demanding corner of the entire circuit, taken flat-out.
* Going off the track is definitely to be avoided: the distinct red, white,
and blue tricolour markings contain a high-friction material designed to
slow cars down quickly, with high risk to flat spot the tyres.
* Last year’s winning strategy was a two-stopper from Max Verstappen. It was
a gamble as he was the only frontrunner to stop twice, with those behind him
stopping just once, but it paid off as the Red Bull driver took the lead
again a lap before the chequered flag. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
“This year’s French Grand Prix takes place nearly a month later than it did
last year, when it rained on Sunday morning, so it’s fair to expect warmer
temperatures. This year’s generation of tyres and compounds is different and
more resistant to overheating than the 13-inch versions used last year, so
we’ll have to see how that affects the strategy. A bit of history: Paul
Ricard was actually where our 18-inch tyres for the current era made their
debut, at a test with Renault and Sergey Sirotkin back in 2019.”
OTHER PIRELLI NEWS
Formula 1 testing
Four teams (Alpine, McLaren, Red Bull and Williams) stayed on over two days
following the Austrian Grand Prix to test Pirelli’s 2023 prototype slick
tyres. Approximately 2949 testing kilometres were covered.
Rallying
The latest round of the Pirelli-equipped World Rally Championship took place
last weekend in Estonia, featuring fast gravel that are a little bit similar
to those on the world famous Rally Finland. Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä
won the event, using Pirelli’s Scorpion gravel tyres. |
