Pirelli has revealed its
P Zero tire compound selections for
Grand Prix races in Canada, Europe and Great
Britain.
In Canada, the soft and the supersoft tire will be
used as prime and option respectively as is the case
in Monaco, where the supersoft tire is making its
debut.
In Valencia, Spain, the street circuit that hosts the
Grand Prix of Europe, the medium tire will make its
debut as the prime with the supersoft as the
option.
In Britain, the race that marks the halfway point of
the 2011 season, the hard and soft tires will be
prime and option respectively, mirroring the choices
made for the first five races of the season.
Montreal, a race where tires have traditionally
played a major role, has similar characteristics to
Monaco in terms of grip and traction, which is why
the same selections of soft and supersoft have been
made.
Valencia is a street circuit that is faster than
Monaco, which means that the medium tire can make its
debut. Representing a compromise between the hard and
the soft tire, the medium P Zero – denoted by white
markings – is ideally suited to the characteristics
of the surface and the likely weather conditions,
according to Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsports director.
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Silverstone is one of the fastest tracks of the
entire calendar, with the well-proven hard and soft
tires covering all the demands that this circuit
makes on the rubber, he says.
“When calculating which tires we will bring to every
circuit, we bear a number of factors in mind such as
the weather conditions and the nature of the
surface,” Hembery explains.
“We then make sure that we select two tires that will
complement each other in terms of racing spectacle
and potential strategies as well,” he continues, “so
we’ve come up with tire nominations that should not
only be well suited to the characteristics of each
circuit but also provide a great race for the drivers
and spectators, with plenty of scope for the teams to
exercise their strategic skills.”
Hembery goes on to note that “selecting the tires is
a very tough job for us. As in Montreal, Valencia and
Silverstone, we have no historical data, but we’re
feeling confident that the choices we have made, in
close consultation with the teams and the FIA, should
continue the Pirelli tradition of close racing that
we have seen so far this year.”
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