Williams Takes First Win for Eight Years with Pirelli in Spain
Barcelona, May 13, 2012 – Tyre strategy played a key role in the Spanish Grand Prix, which was won by Williams driver Pastor Maldonado: the first win for the British team since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix. The Venezuelan became the fifth different winner in five races this year, with five different cars.
Maldonado qualified on pole, but was passed by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, who made his first pit stop on lap 11. The biggest winner from the first stint was McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who went from last to fourth before switching to the hard tyres on lap 14.
With cooler conditions of 23 degrees centigrade ambient and 32 degrees track temperature, the working range of the P Zero Silver hard tyre came into its own, making it the favoured option for most teams to race on. The other nominated tyre, the P Zero Yellow soft, offered a significant performance advantage, and was used mainly for qualifying and the beginning of the race, with every driver starting on the soft tyre.
The key to Maldonado’s victory was when he made his second stop two laps sooner than Alonso for the hard tyre, which enabled him to put in some quick laps and get past the Ferrari which pitted for the second time on lap 26. From then on, he was able to control his advantage with a three-stop strategy, which was also adopted by Alonso. After his final stop, Maldonado ran the P Zero Silver tyre for 25 laps to take victory by 3.1 seconds as he and Alonso raced to the finish on the hard tyre. Both drivers started on the soft tyre, and then used three sets of the hard tyre.
Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen, who finished third, also made good use of the hard tyre during his final 18-lap stint to close up on the leaders over the last 10 laps, having made three stops. By the end of the race, he was less than a second behind Alonso. Raikkonen used a different strategy to the two drivers in front of him, using the soft tyre twice at the beginning of the race and then completing two stints on the hard tyre.
By contrast, Hamilton was the only person to use a two-stop strategy to finish eighth – a result that was decided on the final lap – from 24th and last on the grid, after his original pole position time was cancelled for a rules infringement.
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel finished sixth after four pit stops, including one drive-through penalty, and retains the championship lead jointly with Alonso. This is the closest start to a season since 1983 – which was also the last time a Venezuelan scored world championship points, thanks to Johnny Cecotto. Maldonado now becomes Venezuela’s first grand prix winner.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery commented: “With Pastor Maldonado starting from the front and Lewis Hamilton starting from the back, this was always going to be a fascinating race, and thanks to the tyre strategy as well, it certainly delivered. Maldonado and Williams were quick right from free practice on Friday, having consistently got the most out of both tyre compounds all weekend. The final 10 laps were a fantastic duel between him and Alonso, with less than a second separating them, on similar strategies. Both drivers showed their tyre management skills perfectly, managing to avoid falling off ‘the cliff’ despite pushing hard for the race win. The tyres contributed to an extremely entertaining and tense race, but as official supplier we will always follow the wishes of the teams and the promoter and our future development direction will be dictated by what they want. For the sport, we believe that it’s fantastic to have five races, five winners and five cars – especially when it is as well deserved as the victory that we saw from Pastor and Williams today.”
PIT STOP SUMMARY – 2012 SPANISH GRAND PRIX
| Maldonado: | SU | HN (11) | HN (24) | HN (41) | 3 | |
| Alonso: | SU | HU (10) | HU (26) | HU (44) | 3 | |
| Räikkönen: | SU | SU (11) | HN (27) | HN (48) | 3 | |
| Grosjean: | SU | SU (10) | HN (26) | HN (51) | 3 | |
| Kobayashi: | SN | HN (8) | HN (26) | HU (41) | 3 | |
| Vettel: | SU | HN (7) | HN (27) | DT (30) | HN (42) | 4 |
| Rosberg: | SU | SU (9) | HN (22) | HN (40) | 3 | |
| Hamilton: | SU | HN (14) | HN (35) | 2 | ||
| Button: | SU | HN (9) | SU (25) | HN (38) | 3 | |
| Hülkenberg: | SU | SN (10) | HN (19) | HN (39) | 3 | |
| Webber: | SN | HN (6) | HN (17) | HN (40) | 3 | |
| Vergne: | SU | HN (10) | SN (23) | HN (40) | 3 | |
| Ricciardo: | SU | HN (11) | SN (25) | HN (39) | 3 | |
| Di Resta: | SU | SN (9) | HN (23) | HN (42) | 3 | |
| Massa: | SN | HN (10) | DT (28) | HN (29) | HU (45) | 4 |
| Kovalainen: | SN | SN (13) | SU (27) | HN (43) | 3 | |
| Petrov: | SN | HN (10) | SN (28) | HN (44) | 3 | |
| Glock: | SN | SU (14) | HN (26) | HN (47) | 3 | |
| De La Rosa: | SN | SU (10) | HN (19) | HN (35) | SU (54) | 4 |
| Perez: | SU | HN (1) | HN (17) | HU (37) | 3 NC | |
| Pic: | SN | SU (15) | HN (27) | 2 NC | ||
| Kartikeyan: | SN | SN (11) | HN (22) | 2 NC | ||
| Senna: | SN | 0 NC | ||||
| Schumacher: | SU | SU (10) | 1 NC |
The first column denotes the tyres the driver started the race on.
S = Soft compound
H = Hard compound
N = New compound
U = Used compound
NC = Not classified
DT = Drive Through
The last column gives the total amount of pit stops.
Pirelli P Zero Yello Soft Sets Fastest Time in Practice
Barcelona, May 11, 2012 – On its return to Europe, the P Zero Yellow soft tyre (which has been nominated together with the P Zero Silver hard tyre for the first time this season) set the fastest time in the second free practice session in Barcelona: the home of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Jenson Button set the fastest time during the second session this afternoon, with a time of 1m23.399 on the soft tyre. As expected, temperatures remained dry and warm for both the hour and a half sessions, allowing the drivers to experience the sort of conditions that they are likely to encounter during qualifying on Saturday. For the race, a risk of rain showers has been initially forecast.
With Barcelona being one of the circuits that places heavy demands on the tyres, the teams used the two free practice sessions to assess wear and degradation rates on different fuel loads, and also to establish a base set-up that will suit their likely strategies. With many teams having introduced upgrades at the recent Mugello test, free practice in Barcelona was also another opportunity to see how these worked in conjunction with the 2012-specification Pirelli tyres.
For the first time, there is an entire step in between the two compounds that have been nominated by Pirelli for the race. With a lap time difference of just over a second between the two compounds, strategy will be even more important during the race, putting an emphasis on the data collected by the teams during free practice today.
In the morning session, the teams concentrated exclusively on the P Zero Silver hard before moving onto the P Zero Yellow soft tyre in the afternoon with some further use of the hard compound. The fastest time in free practice one was set by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso with a benchmark of 1m24.754s.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “It was a very important session today for all the teams, as they aimed to gather as much information as possible in order to prepare their race strategies, which are going to have a big influence on the final outcome of the race. Barcelona is well known for a notable degree of tyre wear thanks to long and fast corners such as turn three, and although we still have plenty of data to analyse, it seems that the frontrunners will be likely to adopt a three-stop strategy. However, with a wider gap between the two nominated tyres than usual – both in terms of compound and performance – we could see some quite different strategies that are capable of springing a surprise. And of course if the rain showers that some people are predicting for Sunday materialise, then the race will take on an entirely new and unexpected complexion. With many of the teams introducing new developments in Spain, it almost feels like we are starting the season from scratch again.”
Tomorrow (Saturday) Paul Hembery will be taking part in a live online chat from the Spanish Grand Prix at 6.00pm local time (+1 hour CET), together with Pirelli test driver Jaime Alguersuari, who has been recently testing Pirelli’s latest development tyres at Jerez in the south of Spain. To join in and stream on your own website please visit: http://streamingf1.pirelli.com/share/
To watch, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Pirelli/app_234658916574732
PIRELLI NUMBERS OF THE DAY:
Sets used overall:
Hard 53
Soft 25
Intermediates 0
Wet 0
Highest number of laps per compound:
Hard 17
Soft 18
Intermediate 0
Wet 0
PIRELLI FACT OF THE DAY:
Last year, a four-stop strategy proved the key to success for Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel: the only race other than Turkey (which also contains high-speed, high-energy corners) where this was the case. Pirelli nominated the hard and soft tyres last year in Barcelona as well, but this year’s compounds are softer across the board: the 2012 hard compound is similar in character to last year’s medium. However, the teams have plenty of experience of running the 2012 Pirelli tyres in Barcelona through pre-season testing. The final test held in March was dominated by Lotus, which went quickest on three out of the four days, using the P Zero Yellow soft tyre.
Auto Express names Goodyear ‘Best Summer Tyre’ in the 2012 Product Awards
British magazine, Auto Express has named the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre, the ‘Best Summer Tyre’ in the 2012 Auto Express Product Awards.
The magazine labels the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 as more balanced than its competitors and safe and secure in dry and wet conditions with a great all round performance.
Michelle Fisher, Goodyear UK brand manager said: “Our Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tyre continues to prove its worth as an increasing number of independent experts discover its strengths, on both wet and dry road surfaces.
“It is a clear recognition that the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 is being seen as one of the best tyres on the market today, and being named as the ‘Best Tyre’ by such an influential automotive magazine really adds credibility to our message.”
With over a decade of testing experience, the Auto Express tyre test goes beyond the mandatory categories of performance labels that will become compulsory in Europe later this year.
Besides testing noise, economy and wet grip, Auto Express also tests handling and braking in wet and dry conditions, aquaplaning, cabin noise and all-round ability.
Also commended and completing the top three in the ‘Best Summer Tyre’ category were the Michelin Pilot Sport 3 with its wet grip performance and the Pirelli P Zero, winning the handling and braking disciplines.
The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2’s win of the 2012 Product Awards follows its first place in the 2011 Auto Express Tyre Test.
For more information visit:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/product_awards/283069/the_best_summer_tyre.html
Pirelli’s GP2 Tyres Pass Their Second Test in Bahrain
Milan, April 30, 2012 – A week after the Bahrain Grand Prix drew to a close, the GP2 drivers – exclusively supplied by Pirelli – took part in the second two races of the feeder championship’s double-header held at the Sakhir circuit.
The two races at the first stand-alone GP2 event followed the usual format, with a feature race including a pit stop during which at least two tyres must be changed, followed by a sprint race with no pit stops. Ambient and track temperatures in Bahrain were however a little cooler than they had been during the previous grand prix weekend.
The drivers had three sets of the Pirelli P Zero hard GP2 tyres at their disposal, along with just one set of the P Zero medium tyre. This a new measure introduced by Pirelli to GP2 this year, designed to introduce an element of strategy to the races. Knowing when to use the softer tyre proved to be key to the strategy at Sakhir, which was as usual characterised by warm temperatures and a track made dirty by sand blowing in from the surrounding desert.
Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde used the medium tyres to set his pole time of 1m42.451s in qualifying: one-tenth of a second quicker than DAMS driver and championship leader Davide Valsecchi, who had dominated the previous Bahrain weekend.
But it was Valsecchi who went on to claim his third consecutive win in the feature race, when he passed van der Garde, who was struggling with tyre wear, just before they both pitted. “As soon as van der Garde was struggling, I caught him and overtook him immediately,” said the Italian. “That gave me a bit of an advantage for the rest of the race. It’s the perfect situation to be leading before the pitstop. We were lucky, but we were also competitive.”
There was a new winner in the sprint race the following day, when Frenchman Tom Dillman claimed his first-ever GP2 victory for Rapax, after leading from pole position (the start order for race two is determined by the top eight reversed from race one) using the hard tyres. Luiz Razia was second for Arden, while a fighting drive from Valsecchi resulted in yet another podium for the Italian, reinforcing his lead of the drivers’ championship.
Dillman commented: “It felt good, but maybe because of my lack of experience I pushed a bit too much at the beginning and at the end I lost quite a lot of pace. Maybe next time I have to keep the tyres alive a bit longer, but it worked well today.
Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola commented: “Again, we have seen from the second races in Bahrain that the drivers have learned how to get the most out of their tyres and use their experiences from the past, even though conditions in the feature race in particular were different from what we encountered the previous weekend. Again we saw a perfect strategy from Davide Valsecchi, who was able to judge his pace perfectly during the first stint of the race and build his third consecutive victory from there, thanks also to a very effective pit stop strategy. Our emphasis with the GP2 tyres and regulations this year is to help prepare the drivers for the sort of decisions that they will have to take on a regular basis in Formula One.”
The next round of the GP2 series takes place during the same weekend as the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona from May 11-12.
Vettel Back on Pole with Pirelli P Zero Yellow
Bahrain, April 21, 2012 – Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel claimed his first pole position of the year at the Bahrain Grand Prix with a time of 1m32.422s: the fastest lap of the weekend so far, using the P Zero Yellow soft tyres. With eight different teams in the top 10, pole position hung in the balance until the closing seconds.
As expected, temperatures were dry and warm during qualifying at the Sakhir circuit, which challenges the rear tyres in particular as they have to generate traction on a wide variety of medium-speed corners, which are frequently made dirty by sand on the track. This meant that lap times improved dramatically as qualifying went on during the afternoon, which caused some big surprises as teams judged the compromise between saving tyres and posting competitive enough times to get through.
Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was the first of the top runners to move onto the P Zero Yellow soft tyre in Q1, with the fastest time set by Sauber driver Sergio Perez.
All the drivers apart from Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg started Q2 on the soft Pirelli tyre, while Caterham’s Heikki Kovalainen – who did an excellent job to put the team into the second session for the first time – completed just one run at the end on the P Zero White medium tyre.
The Red Bulls and McLarens went out for two runs in Q3, using the soft tyres on each occasion. Vettel claimed pole on his final run, clinching it by less than a tenth of a second from McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg completed just one run at the end on the soft tyre to qualify fifth, while Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo qualified in a career-best sixth. Alonso and Di Resta did not set a time and will start ninth and 10th respectively, with a choice of compounds to begin the race with.
During the final free practice session this morning, Michael Schumacher was the first Mercedes to go fastest on the soft tyres, followed by his team mate Rosberg, who set the fastest time of 1m33.254s, just ahead of Vettel.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery commented: “We’ve seen a great job from Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, who demonstrated their ability to get the most out of the tyres by extracting every last bit of performance from the softer compound. With the whole field having closed up considerably in terms of pure pace this year, every single advantage that any driver finds is magnified – which means that tyre strategy becomes all the more important. That strategy also influences qualifying, with about 18-20 laps expected for the soft tyres in race conditions and 23-25 laps for the medium tyres. We can expect three stops for most of the leading runners, although some may try two depending on which compound they favour. Degradation is more or less where we expect it to be, given track temperatures in excess of 45 degrees centigrade. In terms of the speed differential between the tyres, we’re still expecting 0.6-0.8 seconds between the two compounds or maybe a bit less. Tyre degradation is certainly going to be an important factor in the race tomorrow, but managing the tyres correctly presents another important opportunity for this extremely talented grid of drivers to demonstrate their skills.”
Pirelli Awards its Best Suppliers
Pirelli recently held its inaugural ‘Suppliers Awards’, recognising its most distinguished suppliers at a ceremony held at its headquarters in Milan, Italy.
The judging criteria for the best suppliers in 2011 were ‘quality’, ‘innovation’, ‘speed’, ‘total cost’, ‘sustainability’, ‘global presence’ and ‘level of service’.
The award winners were: PT. Aneka Bumi Pratama, Columbian Chemicals Company, HF Tire Tech Group, Nynas AB, Rhodia SA, Styron GMBH, Techedge SpA, and Value Team SpA.
Pirelli Chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera and Chief Purchasing Officer Carlo Costa presented the prizes whilst Tronchetti Provera outlined the importance of choosing the right partners in order to reach Pirelli’s goal to be the world leader in the premium segment by 2015.
The GP2 Drivers Face a New Challenge with Pirelli in Bahrain
After a successful start to the season in the hot and humid conditions of Sepang two weeks ago, the GP2 Series – the official feeder championship to Formula One – resumes with a double-header in Bahrain.
This means that as well as two races alongside the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, there will also be two races as part of a stand-alone event next weekend, meaning a packed schedule of competition for the up-and-coming stars of the future.
While Malaysia presented a unique challenge for the tyres, Bahrain is even more demanding due to the extremely high temperatures that are expected, in excess of 35 degrees centigrade. The other peculiarity specific to Bahrain is the sand that can blow onto the track from the desert, reducing the grip available and making the cars slide more, which in turn increases tyre degradation.
Just like Malaysia, the drivers will have Pirelli’s P Zero hard and medium compound GP3 tyres at their disposal. These tyres carry silver and white markings respectively, just like the Formula One tyres. They are also the same 13-inch size as the Formula One tyres, but use different compounds and constructions that are specifically tuned to the broader demands of GP2.
Four sets of tyres will be available to all the drivers for each race weekend: three sets of the harder compound and one set of the softer compound. This gives the drivers an element of choice in the tyres that they can use for the races, but unlike Formula One there is no obligation to use both compounds during the race.
How the drivers use their allocation over the course of the race weekend is of crucial importance to the final result, as Brazilian Luis Razia, who currently leads the GP2 drivers’ championship standings, proved at the most recent round.
The grip problems caused by the sandy track surface in Bahrain are worse for the 26 GP2 drivers than their Formula One equivalents, as the GP2 sessions tend to be held in the morning, when the track is at its dirtiest and the surface has not had a chance to clean. The asphalt itself is medium abrasive, with traction and braking proving to be the most critical areas.
Since its opening in 2004, the Bahrain International Circuit has played a crucial role in helping to increase the popularity of single-seater championships in the region. Aiming to become the ‘home of motorsport in the Middle East’, its 5.441 kilometre layout presents drivers with an exceptional challenge. Featuring 15 turns, four straights, a change in elevation of 18 metres and a variation in width from 14 to 22 metres, overtaking opportunities and closely-fought races are always on the cards.
Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola commented: “The GP2 Series is of vital importance as it is supplying the next generation of Formula One stars. Our GP2 team travelled out to Bahrain for the race that was scheduled last year, so although the race did not go ahead we still have some data on the track – using the information we gained from Formula One testing as well – that will be very useful. With the high temperatures and significant lateral loads that are common in Bahrain, the tyres will definitely have that their work cut out this weekend. So it will be down to the drivers to look after them as best as they can, as they have the same basic characteristics as the Formula One tyres, with deliberate degradation and a performance drop-off beyond a certain number of laps.”
Practice and qualifying in Bahrain will take place on Friday 20 April, at 11:55 and 15:55 respectively (GMT+4 hours). Race one will be held on Saturday 21 April at 15:40, followed by race two on Sunday 22 April at 10:35 (GMT+4 hours).
During the first race there is an obligatory pit stop during which at least two tyres have to be changed, but there are no pit stops during the shorter race two, which is also known as the ‘sprint race’.
Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi to Test for Pirelli
Milan, March 30, 2012 – Jaime Alguersuari from Spain, together with Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, will be Pirelli’s two test drivers during the 2012 season, as the Italian firm enters its second year of Formula One.
For the first time Pirelli will have two permanent Formula One test drivers, after di Grassi carried out the role single-handedly last year. The Brazilian will continue to give his valuable feedback following the experience gained in 2011, while Alguersuari will also bring his knowledge of the most current generation of Formula One machinery.
Both drivers will drive Pirelli’s latest test car – a 2010 Renault R30 – in four development tests this year at Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona, following an initial GP2 test in Jerez that concluded yesterday. The tests will be aimed at defining the 2013 range of Pirelli tyres, which will have new compounds and structures, as well as trying out compound developments that could be seen later on this season.
Di Grassi and Alguersuari will share driving duties, in a run plan that Pirelli will define over the coming weeks for the four tests that will take place between May and September.
Alguersari, who competed in 46 grands prix between 2009 and 2011, said: “I’m very happy indeed to have this fantastic opportunity. A week ago it was my birthday, when I turned 22, and now Pirelli has given me the best possible present. I can’t wait to get started with this very important and challenging job of developing the new tyres for the future, which I’m looking forward to a lot. I have a huge desire to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car again and return to competition, so this is a brilliant chance for me.”
Di Grassi, who started 18 races for Virgin Racing in 2010, was Pirelli’s test driver throughout the 2011 season, completing five test sessions with the Italian firm. The 27-year-old commented: “I’m delighted to be back for another year with after an extremely successful first season of collaboration. We learned a lot together and so we are both very happy to continue. This is a good opportunity for me to carry on the work that we started last year, which allows me to compare and contrast with all the tyres I have tested so far. These tyres are now a fantastic feature of Formula One.”
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery concluded: “Our commitment to providing the best possible spectacle in Formula One is underlined by the fact that we have two extremely fast and talented test drivers this year. Lucas will provide us with the reference point that we need from the development programme so far, while Jaime brings an extra dimension from his experience of racing at the sharp end of the field throughout the last three seasons. We’re going to be using the drivers for all of our single-seater testing activities, including GP2 and simulator development as well. Their input and expertise are sure to help us make even greater progress during the season, resulting in competition tyres that enhance the action further and new technologies that will eventually filter down to our Ultra High Performance road car products. With opportunities for young drivers to drive a Formula One car so limited, this is a great chance for Lucas and Jaime to not only hone their testing and development skills, but also to potentially follow our former test drivers like Romain Grosjean, Pedro de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld in returning to F1 or another top flight motorsport programme in future.”
Pirelli and Ken Block light up the snow of Russia
The American ‘Gymkhana’ star tests Pirelli’s latest studded competition tyre
One of the world’s most famous drivers, known all over the globe for his extreme and spectacular style, a snowy stage in Igora Park, a Ford WRC and Pirelli’s studded competition tyres. This was the unforgettable line-up that Pirelli and Ken Block put together on snow at Igora, close to St Petersburg in Russia. The objective was to demonstrate how the right tyre can make the difference in terms of performance and safety on some of the world’s most treacherous surfaces, without compromising on the amazing spectacle that is always guaranteed by the American driver.
Over a rally stage and driving test road, Ken Block put Pirelli’s latest studded Winter Sottozero tyres through their paces: the same family of tyres that successfully equipped World Rally Cars on snow when Pirelli was the exclusive official supplier to the World Rally Championship from 2008-2010.
Ken Block has taken part in many different championships and he is well known by fans for his spectacular driving style, such as his dramatic skids and slides. On the snow of Igora Park, as a guest of Pirelli, he gave a brilliant demonstration of his spectacular driving style and his absolute control of his car, making the most of the performance of Pirelli’s Winter Sottozero tyres.
To see video click here
Pirelli P Zero Silver Hard Tyre Makes its 2012 Debut
What’s the story?
Milan, March 20, 2012 – The 2012-specification of the P Zero Silver, the hardest and most durable tyre of Pirelli’s Formula One range, will make its debut at the Malaysian Grand Prix: a race that pushes tyres to the limits due to extremes of weather that frequently take in soaring temperatures as well as torrential rain.
The Sepang circuit is characterised by an abrasive surface that adds to the demands placed on the tyres, which have to cope with two long straights as well as several hairpins that test traction.
These extreme requirements make Sepang the ideal territory for the P Zero Silver, whose resilient qualities have inspired the recently-launched P Zero Silver road car tyre, which prioritises endurance as well as performance.
Alongside the P Zero Silver hard, the P Zero White medium tyre has been nominated for Malaysia, which was also seen in Australia. This combination best covers the wide-ranging conditions seen in Malaysia, with the Cinturato Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue full wet also ready to deal with the torrential downpours that are a common feature of the track, located just north of the equator. Even when it is not raining, humidity remains at about 80%, increasing the physical challenge for the drivers.
The increased tyre wear caused by the unique nature of Malaysia could lead to an increased number of pit stops, with three stops proving to be the winning strategy last year. However, the compounds used by Pirelli this year are generally softer and faster. The hard compound that will be seen in Malaysia this weekend is much closer in character to the 2011 medium compound, underlining the constantly-evolving performance of the P Zero covers.
Pirelli’s motorsport director says:
Paul Hembery: “Malaysia is one of the biggest challenges that we will face all year, and that is simply down to the nature of the track and the weather. We can expect track temperatures of up to around 50 degrees centigrade and a similar performance gap between the two nominated compounds as we saw in Australia. Our target is still for that gap to be less than one second – even though there is a whole step missing between the soft and the hard compounds that we have chosen for the race. Malaysia is good for overtaking, and that should fit in well with the characteristics of our P Zero tyres, which have been specifically designed to promote overtaking through a certain degree of deliberate degradation. Tyre strategy is going to be very important, particularly when it comes to looking after tyres at the beginning of a stint. Last year the battle for the podium places went down to the very last lap, and our objective for this year’s tyres is to encourage even closer racing, following the thrilling start we saw in Australia last weekend.”
The men behind the steering wheel say:
Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Team: “Sepang is a big challenge and it is also probably my favourite track of them all. I raced there in 2008 as part of the GP2 Asia Series and I really loved the circuit. It’s nice and wide, with fast flowing corners and a lot of undulation which makes it great fun to drive. The last corner is a tricky one, but I enjoy everything about racing here. Maybe not the heat and humidity, but that’s just another challenge. I’m really looking forward to it so that we can capitalise on the potential we showed in Australia. I have some good memories of working with Pirelli in the past, when I was a test driver in 2010 at the time when they were coming back to Formula One. For me, back then, this was a fantastic opportunity to drive a Formula One car again and get to know the tyres, which were certainly very different to anything I had experienced before. My goal was firmly to get back to racing, which I was able to achieve, and I am sure that this experience with Pirelli helped. Since then a lot has happened: the moral for me is that you should never give up on your dream.”
Technical tyre notes:
- Although the surface in Malaysia offers plenty of grip, any rubber laid down on the track is frequently washed away by the heavy rain that falls most days, making the track ‘green’ at the start of each session.
- The tyres on the left side of the car do the most work in Malaysia. The rear-left tyre is particularly stressed as it ensures traction, with its temperature rising to a peak of 130 degrees centigrade on the inner edge due to a lateral force of 3G.
- The Sepang circuit is 5.543 kilometres long, with 56 laps that total 310.408 kilometres. The circuit was inaugurated in 1999 on land that was formerly jungle.
- The track does not have many bumps, having been resurfaced in 2007, with a wide variety of corners that require a medium-downforce compromise set-up. The track layout is not dissimilar to Barcelona: one of the circuits where Pirelli has tested the most.
- Last year, Pirelli nominated the 2011 hard compound together with the soft compound, resulting in a difference of around 1.2 seconds between the two tyres. This year, the difference should be much less.
The tyre choices so far:
| PZero Red | PZero Yellow | PZero White | PZero Silver | |
| Australia | Soft | Medium | ||
| Malaysia | Medium | Hard |
Pirelli in Malaysia:
- Pirelli has been present in Malaysia for more than 30 years. The Italian firm’s main South East Asia office is in Singapore, less than 300 kilometres away.
- Pirelli tyres have had plenty of success in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, winning the title three times in a row with the Motor Image Racing team and Subaru driver Cody Crocker.
- Malaysian fashion model Ling Tang, born in Gombak close to Sepang, featured on the Pirelli calendar in 1997. The theme that year was ‘women of the world’, shot by celebrated American photographer Richard Avedon
Other news from Pirelli:
- ‘Gymkhana’ hero Ken Block took part in a Pirelli winter tyre demonstration at St Petersburg, Russia, last weekend. The American, who uses Pirelli tyres for his massively popular viral videos, was driving a Ford Focus WRC on Pirelli’s Sottozero tyres.
- The GP3 Series, which uses Pirelli control tyres, concluded its penultimate pre-season test last week in Barcelona. Carlin’s Antonio Felix da Costa was quickest.
- This weekend is also the first round of the Pirelli-equipped GP2 Series in Malaysia, the official feeder championship to Formula One. Esteban Gutierrez, who won the GP3 Series with Pirelli in 2010, was quickest at the final GP2 test.