FORMULA 1 AND PIRELLI: ALL THE NUMBERS FROM 2017 SEASON

Milan, December 5, 2017 – “From a record-breaking season, we have collected some record-breaking numbers. Formula 1 introduced some radical new technical regulations this year, which resulted in the fastest cars ever seen in the history of the sport. So, our mission was to build the fastest-ever tyres, 25% wider than their predecessors to cope with the massively increased cornering speeds and energy loads, which nonetheless allowed the drivers to push hard from the start to the finish of every stint. We developed these tyres throughout 2016, despite not even seeing a 2017 car until the first pre-season test at Barcelona. Over the course of this year, pole position was on average 2.450 seconds faster than in 2016, and the fastest race lap was on average 2.968 seconds quicker than last year. In spite of forces that were sometimes up to 35-40% higher than 2016 through the quickest corners, our 2017 tyres achieved all the targets established at the beginning of the season, with an optimal level of reliability and consistency. Now we look forward to next season, with an even faster tyre introduced to the 2018 range and with every compound going a step softer, which should help contribute to even more speed and spectacle in the future”.

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing

PIRELLI’S RAINBOW TO LIGHT UP FORMULA 1 IN 2018

PINK HYPERSOFT AND ORANGE SUPERHARD JOIN THE LINE-UP

P ZERO HARD COMPOUND TURNS ICE BLUE

Abu Dhabi, November 23, 2017 – Pirelli launches its new range of 2018 Formula 1 tyres in Abu Dhabi, which adds two extra compounds and colours next year, as well as fresh constructions, compounds and working ranges across the renewed family. These are the main points towards 2018:

• All the compounds are a step softer than this year, making these the fastest tyres in Formula 1 history.
• Brand new for 2018 is a tyre that sits below the ultrasoft: an even softer compound called P Zero Pink hypersoft,which is coloured pink and is the softest Formula 1 tyre that Pirelli has ever made. This new compound will be suitable for circuits where maximum mechanical grip is required, such as Monaco.
• Also new for 2018 is the hard compound, which will now be coloured ice blue.
• Another new entry is the superhard, remaining orange as a symbol of the very hardest choice available in our range.
• In total, there will now be seven slick P Zero compounds, which together with the new Cinturato intermediates and wets expand the 2018 range to nine brightly-coloured Pirelli tyres.
• Compounds and constructions have been redesigned for each tyre, in keeping with Pirelli’s philosophy of renewing the range every year since the Italian firm returned to Formula 1 in 2011.
• There are new working ranges across the entire family as well, which together with the increased number of compounds, will allow tyre nominations that are more specifically suited to each race next year. For Pirelli and the Teams, this also means that there can be more flexibility and variation in the tyre choices, leading to extra opportunities when it comes to formulating creative race strategies.
• The brand new pink tyre, which the teams will all sample for the first time in just five days, was named the P Zero Pink hypersoft following a poll across Pirelli’s social media channels, endorsed by the sport’s leading personalities, who invited fans to choose a new name after the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “Compared to this year, when the tyres grew by 25% to fit a brand-new generation of cars, the changes for next year are less far-reaching. However, we’re pleased to present some important innovations with softer and faster compounds across the range: including the new hypersoft. We realised that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative: the tyres we have created for 2018 addresses this, in line with the objective of having around two pit stops at most races. However, the fundamental design concept of the tyres hasn’t changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint. The new range consists of faster tyres that should lead to even harder and more spectacular racing in 2018.”

Following the two-day test in Abu Dhabi, the drivers will have the chance to sample the 2018 tyres on next season’s cars for the first time during the two official four-day pre-season tests in Barcelona from February 26 – March 1 and March 6-9.

Further details on Pirelli’s testing plans for next season, in preparation for 2019, will be revealed at the start of next season.

MEXICAN GRAND PRIX RACE

RED BULL DRIVER MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS MEXICAN GRAND PRIX

WITH A ONE-STOP ULTRASOFT-SUPERSOFT STRATEGY

CONTACT BETWEEN LEWIS HAMILTON AND SEBASTIAN VETTEL PUTS

BOTH ONTO AN ALTERNATIVE TWO-STOPPER

ALL THREE COMPOUNDS USED DURING THE RACE IN A P ZERO RANGE

THAT WAS ONE STEP SOFTER THAN A YEAR AGO

Mexico City, October 29, 2017 – A thrilling Mexican Grand Prix was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen with an expected one-stop strategy, but an early collision between title protagonists Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) forced them both onto different two-stop strategies.

After pitting for soft tyres at the end of the opening lap, they both used a virtual safety car halfway through the race to switch on to supersoft (for Hamilton) and ultrasoft (for Vettel). But as Vettel did not finish in the top two, Hamilton could claim his fourth drivers’ title – and his third with Pirelli.

Along with Renault’s Carlos Sainz and Force India’s Sergio Perez, Hamilton and Vettel were the only drivers to stop twice. All the other drivers stopped just once, with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen the highest-placed competitor to use the soft (rather than the supersoft) for his second stint.

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING

“The collision on the opening lap and the virtual safety car meant that Hamilton and Vettel both had to diverge from the expected one-stop strategy, adding an extra tactical element to this race. Keeping the tyres within the correct operating window was essential, with low degradation, minimal downforce in the thin air, and a slippery surface in Mexico, but Verstappen managed this perfectly to seal a textbook victory. We saw all three compounds used during the race, with teams implementing different strategies to react to the changing circumstances of this fascinating grand prix, and no issues whatsoever from the tyres. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for a well-deserved fourth driver’s title, following a stunning season.”

BEST TIME BY COMPOUND

LONGEST STINT OF THE RACE

TRUTHOMETER

Max Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix with a one-stop strategy as expected, making his sole pit stop from ultrasoft to supersoft on lap 32.

MERCEDES DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON WINS WITH A ONE-STOP STRATEGY. FERRARI’S SEBASTIAN VETTEL FINISHES SECOND WITH A TWO STOPPER

ALTERNATIVE TWO-STOP STRATEGY BOOSTS RED BULL’S MAX VERSTAPPEN, WHO FINISHES FOURTH AFTER STARTING NEAR THE BACK OF THE GRID

SOFT TYRE – THE HARDEST COMPOUND NOMINATED – IS A CRUCIAL INGREDIENT FOR THE RACE, AND ALLOWS MANY DIFFERENT STRATEGIES

Austin, October 22, 2017 – Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix on a one-stop strategy, while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel used a two-stop strategy and kept the championship battle alive after finishing second.

Despite higher degradation than yesterday and warm track temperatures close to 40 degrees, most drivers finished the race with a one-stop ultrasoft-soft strategy.

However, some drivers chose alternative strategies: notably Vettel, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who started from 16th on the grid with the supersoft tyre. The Dutchman also stopped twice, switching to the soft compound and then the supersoft, to finally claim a podium place on the final lap, before losing it due to a penalty.

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING

“With quite warm track and air temperatures during the race, this was another set of parameters for the drivers to get used to after an inconsistent weekend in terms of track conditions. Nonetheless, the one-stop strategy came into play with the soft tyre, even though there wasn’t a lot of running on this compound in free practice. Strategy was crucial to this grand prix, with the teams having to react to changing circumstances and read the track as well as rivals’ tactics as they saw them, adapting their strategies appropriately. This was exemplified by Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, who were both extremely quick in the closing stages of the race after a bold call on final pit stops. Finally, on behalf of all of us, congratulations to Mercedes for another constructors’ title.”

BEST TIME BY COMPOUND

LONGEST STINT OF THE RACE

MERCEDES DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON WINS JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

WITH A ONE-STOP SUPERSOFT-SOFT STRATEGY IN WARM CONDITIONS

ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY USED BY HIS TEAM MATE VALTTERI BOTTAS

TO FINISH JUST OFF THE PODIUM AFTER A GRID PENALTY

NEARLY ALL DRIVERS STOP JUST ONCE ON ONE OF THE MOST DEMANDING CIRCUITS FOR TYRES OF THE ENTIRE SEASON 

Suzuka, October 8, 2017 – With track temperatures in excess of 40 degrees centigrade providing a marked contrast to the much cooler conditions earlier in the weekend, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Japanese Grand Prix from pole, using a one-stop supersoft-soft strategy.

This was the same tactic adopted by the majority of the field, but one notable exception was Hamilton’s team mate Valtteri Bottas, who chose to start on the soft and run a longer first stint after being hit by a grid penalty. The same applied to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, while the longest opening stint on the soft was carried out by both Renaults: the last cars to pit.

Thanks to its long and high-speed series of corners, Suzuka is one of the most demanding circuits for tyres. However, an early safety car and virtual safety car reduced the amount of degradation slightly, lengthening the opening stint.

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING

“Both compounds performed in line with our expectations, although track and air temperatures were a lot higher than they had been previously during the weekend. Combined with the shortage of running in free practice due to weather and red flags, this meant that teams were slightly lacking in information about the conditions and strategy heading into this race. Despite this, and the fact that we brought a softer compound than previous years, the majority of drivers were able to complete the grand prix with just one pit stop – while the drivers who started out of position on the grid were able to use the alternative soft-supersoft strategy to make up some places.”

 
BEST TIME BY COMPOUND

LONGEST STINT OF THE RACE

TRUTHOMETER

Lewis Hamilton won the race using one pit stop, going from supersoft to soft on lap 22. He stopped just after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished second, and made a similar tyre change one lap beforehand to try to ‘undercut’ the Mercedes.

We predicted that a one-stopper would be effective in cooler conditions, but this strategy proved to be equally strong in warmer weather, thanks to the perfect consistency of both compounds and the early safety car periods (both real and virtual).

 Milan, December 22, 2016 

PIRELLI ANNOUNCES COMPOUND CHOICES AND MANDATORY SETS 

FOR THE 2017 GRANDS PRIX OF AUSTRALIA AND CHINA 

NEW MATERIALS AND A COMPLETELY FRESH DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
DEFINE THE NEW-GENERATION RANGE OF TYRES 

With the 2016 championship just over, Pirelli is already thinking about the coming F1 season. As the tyre nomination for long-haul events has to be made 15weeks in advance, whereas for European races the deadline is nine weeks in advance, Pirelli announces the following three compounds for the first and second rounds of the 2017 Formula One season.

In AUSTRALIA*, to be held (March 24 – 26) on the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne:

P Zero Yellow soft 
P Zero Red supersoft 
P Zero Purple ultrasoft

These are the tyres that must be available (one of them to be used) at some point in the race:

One set of P Zero Yellow soft 
One set of P Zero Red supersoft

There are the tyres assigned for Q3 in qualifying:                     

One set of P Zero Purple ultrasoft

In CHINA*, to be held (April 7 – 9) on the Shanghai circuit:

P Zero White medium 
P Zero Yellow soft 
P Zero Red supersoft

These are the tyres that must be available (one of them to be used) at some point in the race:

One set of P Zero White medium 
One set of P Zero Yellow soft

There are the tyres assigned for Q3 in qualifying:                     

One set of P Zero Red supersoft

Following the regulations, each driver must save for Q3 one set of the softest of the three nominated compounds. This set will be given back to Pirelli after Q3 for those who qualify in the top 10, but the remaining drivers will keep it for the race.

The teams are free to choose the remaining 10 sets; making up 13 sets in total for the weekend. 

2017 TYRES’ NEW FRAME

• The range has been completely transformed, with new sizes (305/670-13 at the front and 405/670-13 at the rear) as well as new profiles, constructions and compounds.
• The compounds, in particular, make use of entirely new materials and a completely fresh design philosophy.
• After a very positive testing program with the new sizes, Pirelli has decided to additionally homologate a backupcompound alongside each of the five new base compounds. These extra compounds are formulated using more traditional criteria compared to the new base compounds.
• For the first part of the championship, only the new-generation base compounds have been selected.
• The backup compounds could be introduced later during the course of next season to respond to any particular requirements once the real performance levels of the 2017 cars have been identified.