Pirelli has announced the list of features included in its latest range of tires.
The latest F1 tires debuted on the 2019 cars in Barcelona this month.
Three colours, five compounds
Pirelli’s tires will feature only three colours at each 2019 race—white for the hardest compound, yellow for the medium one, and red for the softest compound. Five compounds are available in total for the year numbered from 1 to 5, going from hardest to softest. All five compounds are on track at the pre-season test in Barcelona. The hardest (C1) and softest (C5) do not have the usual stripes for the test session. The usual branding with stripes is featured on compounds C2, C3 and C4, coloured white, yellow and red respectively. Only three compounds will be used at the actual grand prix weekends for each race.
Prototypes for testing
Several prototype tires are to be used during test sessions to assess potential evolutions for the future. These tires will not carry any markings. Pirelli is currently working on a test schedule for 2020, which will involve all the teams in a series of sessions this year. It will release details of this schedule soon.
Different temperatures and pressures
Pirelli’s engineers have focussed this year on reducing the maximum temperatures of the tire blankets at the rear to 80 degrees centigrade. The front tire blanket temperature is to remain at the current 100 degrees centigrade. In addition to reducing the risk of graining, this new development will help front tire warm-up, especially in low ambient temperatures. The starting pressures of the rear tires have therefore been reduced accordingly.
Thinner treads
Pirelli used a thinner tread at certain races in 2018, which features new asphalt. The design aimed at preventing overheating and Pirelli was able to achieve the desired results. The company has therefore adopted a similar tread reduction for its tires this year.
New intermediate and wet
The company has designed a new intermediate tire this year to cover a wider range of conditions than its previous version. This provides a more effective crossover point with both the slick and the wet, in addition to improved performance in the wet. The new full wet tire’s redesigned profile offers greater resistance to aquaplaning and better drivability in heavy rain.
No wet back-ups
To eliminate the need of having two ranges of tires, Pirelli has developed versatile tires for the 2019 season. The company has introduced only one intermediate tire and one full wet tire for the whole year. The company had homologated two parallel ranges of wet and intermediate tires in 2018—one for lower temperatures and the other for higher temperatures.
Wider working ranges
In order to decrease the potential for overheating, the working ranges of the 2019 tires are a bit higher. Additionally, this provides a wider operating window overall.
The working ranges of the tires are as follows:
C1 110-140°C
C2 110-135°C
C3 105-135°C
C4 90-120°C
C5 85-115°C
