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TYRES ON THE
TRACK
* The C2 is the P Zero White Hard, C3 the P Zero Yellow Medium and C4 the P
Zero Red Soft for the Australian Grand Prix.
* The FIA has confirmed four DRS zones at Albert Park. So this year could
feature the fastest top speeds ever seen in Melbourne, which in theory could
reach 340kph.
* The Albert Park street circuit was resurfaced in 2022 with some metallic
elements included in the aggregate, improving the grip from the tyres. The
asphalt is smoother than other tracks on the championship, with peak grip
only achieved after several sessions of on-track running.
* The energy demands on the tyres at the Australian Grand Prix are about
average for the season, with contained levels of abrasion. The new layout
inaugurated last year favours overtaking, especially in the second sector. A
car setup biased towards traction can be particularly helpful on the exit of
corners to increase the chance of a successful overtaking move on the
circuit’s short straights.
* The Australian Grand Prix has traditionally opened the championship since
it moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in 1996. This was the case until 2019,
with the only exceptions being 2006 and 2010, when the first Grand Prix of
the year took place in Bahrain. The 2020 and 2021 races were cancelled due
to the Covid pandemic, before Melbourne returned to the championship last
year as round three, after the two opening races in the Middle East.
* It’s a true home race for Oscar Piastri. The young McLaren driver was born
in Melbourne, not far from Albert Park. Other Australian drivers to go
before him in Formula 1 include Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Tim Schenken, Mark
Webber, and Daniel Ricciardo. |
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MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR
RACING
“We’ve made the same tyre choice as we did back in 2019 for the Australian
Grand Prix. Following a two-year absence from the calendar due to the Covid
pandemic, we went for a gap in the nominated compounds last year: selecting
the C2, C3 and then the softest C5 compound. That race was a one-stopper won
by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with all the teams using the hard and the
medium tyre, while the soft was just used for qualifying. This weekend, the
teams will have the C2, C3, and C4 at their disposal, which means that they
have more options for the race in terms of strategy: on paper at least.
We’re expecting a high degree of track evolution throughout the weekend, as
is normally the case in Melbourne, while the energy demands on the tyres are
about average for the season. It’s a flowing track with corners that are
faster following last year’s modifications, which benefit overtaking as well
as the overall spectacle.”
OTHER PIRELLI NEWS
Ferrari Challenge
The opening round of the 2023 Ferrari Challenge Europe, exclusively equipped
by Pirelli, took place last weekend in Valencia. A total of 47 Ferrari 488
Challenge Evo cars and 2500 Pirelli tyres took to the Spanish track for the
first round of the 31st edition of the one-make series. The next round will
be at Misano from April 21-23. Other highlights of this year’s calendar
include the Le Mans 24 Hours weekend, which celebrates its centenary this
year, and the Ferrari Finals at Mugello. |
