Montreal, 6 June 2014: (7 June 2014 12.30 am IST) Fernando Alonso finished the opening practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend at the top of the timesheet, the Ferrari beating out Mercedes rivals Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who were second and third respectively. Sebastian Vettel was fourth-fastest for Red Bull Racing.
Sahara Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were 11th and 12th respectively during the first practice session for the Canadian GP to be held on Sunday .
Alonso set a best lap of 1:17.238 to finish just under two hundredths of a
Alonso in a pensive mood on Friday. The Ferrari driver topped the time sheets in the First practice. An FIA image
second ahead of Hamilton whose best time of 1:17.254 was over a tenth of a second clear of team-mate Rosberg.
The top three were well clear of the rest of the field, with Vettel’s fourth-placed time being just under a second adrift of Alonso’s benchmark. Valtteri Bottas was fifth for Williams, the Finn exploiting the Mercedes engine that is expected to make the difference on the long, fast straights of the Montreal circuit. Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull was sixth fastest. The Milton Keynes-based team have already admitted they are expecting a difficult weekend due to the deficit their Renault power unit has to the pacesetting Mercedes.
Ricciardo was followed by the McLarens of Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen, while Kimi Raikkonen was ninth in the second Ferrari, some 1.3s down on his team-mate. The top 10 order was completed by Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who eclipsed rookie team-mate Daniil Kvyat by more than half a second around the daunting, high-speed track.
As ever, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve’s close walls played a part in the session. With little grip available from the temporary track, several drivers had close brushes with the barriers. Most got away with minimal contact but Marussia’s Jules Bianchi was caught out and the Frenchman struck the wall on the exit on the exit of turn four sustaining damage to the right rear of his car. Bianchi eventually limped back to the pits for repairs.
Felipe Massa had few chances to test the limits of the circuit. The Brazilian completed just seven laps during the session.
2014 Canadian Grand Prix – Free Practice One Times
1 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:17.238 21
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:17.254 0.016 25
3 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:17.384 0.146 32
4 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1:18.131 0.893 28
5 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:18.361 1.123 20
6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1:18.435 1.197 26
7 Jenson Button McLaren 1:18.446 1.208 33
8 Kevin Magnussen McLaren 1:18.514 1.276 31
9 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:18.578 1.340 15
10 Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1:18.643 1.405 14
11 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:18.733 1.495 30
12 Sergio Perez Force India 1:18.959 1.721 22
13 Adrian Sutil Sauber 1:19.108 1.870 24
14 Romain Grosjean Lotus 1:19.142 1.904 32
15 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:19.177 1.939 21
16 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1:19.340 2.102 37
17 Felipe Massa Williams 1:19.575 2.337 7
18 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1:19.804 2.566 15
19 Jules Bianchi Marussia 1:20.200 2.962 15
20 Max Chilton Marussia 1:20.844 3.606 26
21 Marcus Ericsson Caterham 1:21.404 4.166 33
22 Alexander Rossi Caterham 1:21.757 4.519 27
Milan, 3 June 2014: Just as was the case for Monaco, the Pirelli P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres have been nominated for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: a semi-permanent facility, which combines bespoke sections of track with normal park roads. But Montreal is a very different proposition to Monaco, with much higher average speeds, frequently changeable weather conditions, and a low-grip surface that often catches out even the most experienced drivers – many of whom have had contact with the famous ‘wall of champions’ in the past. Other important factors affecting the tyres in Montreal include braking, with heat from the brakes warming up the tyres (although this year, the behaviour of the brakes is different, with the new brake by wire system). There are also some notable kerbs in Montreal, which force the tyre to absorb impacts as part of the car’s suspension.
A file photo of 2013 Canadian GP action. Image by Pirelli Motorsport
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “We’re expecting the tyres to be worked a lot harder in Canada than they were in Monaco, with a lot more energy and greater forces going through them due to much higher speeds. This should lead to the maximum possible mechanical grip, which is certainly what’s needed in Montreal. There’s a high degree of track evolution and we frequently see a lot of sliding – especially with reduced downforce this year – which obviously puts an increased amount of stress on the tyre. But we are still expecting to have contained wear and degradation this weekend, even on the two softest tyres in the range. Canada always tends to be an unpredictable race where strategy can make a real difference, also because of the high probability of safety cars. As we saw in Monaco, taking the right strategy opportunities when they present themselves under unusual circumstances is a key element to success at any circuit that falls outside the usual mould, with Canada being a prime example. Historically, there’s a reasonable chance of rain, in which case judging the crossover points – sometimes without previous data, if each previous session has been dry – becomes crucial.”
Jean Alesi, Pirelli consultant: “Montreal is quite a special and unusual circuit, with high speeds and an interesting mix of a street circuit and a permanent track. From a driver’s perspective, the most important thing is to maintain the rear tyres in the best possible condition. There aren’t really any long corners, so the stress on the tyres in Canada is primarily longitudinal, under acceleration and braking. You have to be very careful getting on the power, otherwise you can wear out the tyres and then braking becomes very difficult too. It’s not a physically demanding track for the driver but it demands utmost concentration under braking, especially at the chicane before the pits, where the famous ‘wall of champions’ is waiting. Personally, I’ll always remember Canada for my win in 1995: it was my only F1 win, on my birthday, and with the legendary number 27 on the car, just like Gilles Villeneuve. The emotion was unbelievable.”
The circuit from a tyre point of view:
Traction and braking are the two key points that affect tyres in Montreal, with the increased torque and diminished downforce of the 2014 cars making the track even harder to master this year. The biggest risk is wheelspin, with the action of the tyres against the track overheating the tread. Late braking can cause flat-spotting if a wheel locks up – however, the design of the 2014 tyres have made them a lot more resistant to this phenomenon.
The cars tend to run a low downforce set-up in Montreal, to maximise a top speed of over 300kph on the straights. The trade-off for this is less aerodynamic grip through corners, meaning that the cars slide more and are more reliant on mechanical grip from the tyre compound to get round the corner.
The supersoft tyre is a low working range compound, capable of achieving optimal performance even at low temperatures. The soft tyre is a high working range compound, suitable for higher temperatures and more strenuous track conditions. The weather in Canada can be variable, often causing the race to be interrupted. The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, Pirelli’s first race in Canada of the current era, was also the longest in Formula One history, due to repeated stoppages.
One of the biggest challenges for the tyres in Canada is the fact that the asphalt is extremely inconsistent, made up of a number of different surfaces that offer variable levels of grip. The job of the tyre compound is to smooth out these differences to offer as consistent a level of grip as possible.
Sebastian Vettel won for Red Bull last year, having qualified on pole. He claimed victory with a two-stop strategy (supersoft-medium-medium) having used the intermediate tyre in a wet qualifying session. While Pirelli is nominating the soft rather than the medium tyre alongside the supersoft this year, all the 2014 compounds are slightly harder than their predecessors.
More information about Montreal and the unique demands it places on tyres can be found on a new-look 3D animated video produced by Pirelli. This is copyright-free for media use on Pirelli’s Formula One website: www.pirelli.com/f1pressarea
The tyre choices so far:
P Zero Red
P Zero Yellow
P Zero White
P Zero Orange
Australia
Soft
Medium
Malaysia
Medium
Hard
Bahrain
Soft
Medium
China
Soft
Medium
Spain
Medium
Hard
Monaco
Supersoft
Soft
Canada
Supersoft
Soft
In the P Zero Magazine:
The brand new P Zero magazine, an innovation from Pirelli for this season, contains facts about the Canadian Grand Prix, the vibrant city of Montreal, and everything else that is happening in the world of Pirelli from the past, present and future. This dynamic new e-magazine, which contains video and other interactive content updated over the weekend, can be accessed via Pirelli’s website on the following link: http://magazine.pzero.com
Barcelona, 14 May 2014: The second in-season test of the year took place after the Spanish Grand Prix, working on testing structures and compounds for 2015. Sauber and Toro Rosso tested on the first day, with Force India and McLaren taking over throughout day two.
With the first day mostly wet, just the new intermediate compounds were tested in the morning. In the afternoon, with the test timetable having been altered to maximise dry running, some of the prototype slicks for 2015 got their first outing at the Barcelona circuit. The focus on the opening afternoon was on new constructions, with around half the anticipated programme completed.
On the second day, held in dry conditions with trac
Force India backdrop at the Malaysian GP. An India in F1.Image
k temperatures peaking in excess of 40 degrees centigrade, new constructions as well as compounds were tested with McLaren and Force India. McLaren completed the programme with Stoffel Vandoorne, who then went on to set his fastest time of the day on the current 2014 medium tyre, as the team ran some of their own tests, a procedure allowed by the current regulations. Daniel Juncadella tested for Force India, but was not able to finish the anticipated work due to delays and off-track excursions.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “With rain affecting the first day of testing, the programme was put slightly out of kilter from the beginning, but this is something that you obviously expect and factor into your plans. It was also a good opportunity to try out some new intermediate weather tyres for next year. Once the weather became drier, we were able to focus on the new 2015 slick tyres. Following the test in Bahrain, we’re now beginning to build up a good picture of where we stand going into next year, so there is plenty of useful data to analyse heading into the next in-season test after Silverstone.”
Testing facts:
The first day of testing saw rain and very low temperatures with a maximum of 11 degrees centigrade air temperature and with track temperatures never going over 20 degrees centigrade.
The fastest time set throughout the two days of the test was a 1m24.871s set by Pastor Maldonado on the supersoft tyres in the closing hour of the second day.
Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne who had a technical problem in the morning of day one only ran a total of 52 laps, whereas Guido Van der Garde in the Sauber managed to run 86 laps. Both were hampered by the bad weather conditions.
Today, Stoffel Vandoorne in his first day ever in a Formula One car, ran an impressive 136 laps on the Pirelli experimental tyres. Daniel Juncadella, in a Sauber, also did well, doing 91 laps.
As well as running on experimental tyres, the teams that were not testing specifically for Pirelli ran with the current tyres. Teams are allowed an overall maximum total of 135 sets of tyres for testing this year, including the in-season tests.
The next in-season test will take place after the British Grand Prix. Ferrari and Lotus will test for Pirelli on the opening day, followed by Red Bull and Marussia on day two. The final in-season test will be held in Abu Dhabi, after the race, where teams will have the first opportunity to sample the brand new 2015 tyre range.
Fiorano, 26 April 2014: Today, Simona De Silvestro completed her first day of testing in a Sauber Formula One car on the Ferrari test track in Fiorano. She completed a total of 112 laps in a two year old Sauber C31 (without KERS and with special tyres from Pirelli). Simona used the opportunity to become familiar with the specifics of a Formula One car and was able to improve constantly during the day.
Circuit: Fiorano Circuit / 2.997 km Driver: Simona De Silvestro Weather: Overcast, sunny, air 16-21 °C, t
Simona debuts in Sauber F1 car on Saturday. A Sauber F1 team image
rack 19-30 °C Chassis / engine: C31 / Ferrari Laps today: 112 laps, 336 km
Paul Russell, Test Engineer: “In the morning, Simona went out for baseline runs. She drove at a reasonable pace, getting the tyres and the brakes to work and taking it easy finding the limits. Simona then drove short runs. Before the lunch break she did a run on new tyres which was at a good performance level. In the morning we achieved even more than we had planned. For Simona it was really about learning and building the pace. In the afternoon she continued doing shorter runs, which gave us time to look into the data and discuss things in order for her to get a better understanding of the car. We also did some set-up changes. At the end of the day we used a couple of new sets of tyres, which is always interesting for new drivers in order to experience how far they can push. Simona did a very solid job today. It was immediately clear that she is an experienced driver. It was as good a start in a Formula One car as you could hope for, and you couldn’t really ask for more today.”
Simona De Silvestro: “Although it’s something very special to drive a Formula One car, I was not too nervous in the morning. I was more focused on what my job would be. But, after completing the installation lap, I realised that this was my first lap in a Formula One car, and that this was something really special. What impressed me most was the downforce of the car and the braking. When I did my first lap the brakes were cold, but even then the decelaration was beyond what I had experienced before. The g-forces are significantly higher compared to what I was used to in IndyCar. Overall, I’m happy with my first day in a Formula One car. I concentrated mainly on understanding the tyres and finding out how to get the best out of them. And with every outing I learned more about the behaviour of the car. I can feel now where there is more potential and how I can use it. Physically I feel quite good, which is definitely a result of my preparation in recent months. I have been training really hard and this paid off. I can’t wait to get into the car again tomorrow. The feeling you get driving a Formula One car is just awesome!”
What comes next Tomorrow (Sunday 27 April 2014) Affiliated driver Simona De Silvestro will again be behind the wheel of the Sauber C31-Ferrari in Fiorano.
Sakhir, 9 April 2014:Pirelli has completed the first in-season test using the current 2014 cars: an innovation for this year designed to help the Italian tyre-maker develop suitable tyres for the latest-generation Formula One cars.
A total of eight new constructions and six new compounds were tested during the two days: split between Caterham on Tuesday then Mercedes and Williams on Wednesday.
Hamilton fastest on Second Day of testing in Bahrain on 9 April 2014. A Pirelli image
Only one variable was tested at a time, so if a new compound was being tested, then the construction would be the current one (and vice versa). The teams alternated prototype runs with baseline runs on the existing tyres, for comparison purposes.
The 250 experimental tyres brought to Bahrain, distinguished by being free from any colour stripes on the sidewall, were exclusively designed with 2015 in mind. Over the course of the two days, Pirelli completed a total of 110 laps and around 595 kilometres with experimental tyres, in ambient and track temperatures that were a lot hotter than those of the grand prix weekend.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “The opportunity to test with the current cars is something that we have always wished for and it was vital to have this written into the regulations this year. We made useful progress throughout both days of the prototype tyre test, trying out a number of solutions with 2015 in mind, in demanding conditions. Having accumulated this valuable data over two days, we will now analyse it carefully to assess the best development direction for the next in-season test in Barcelona, where we expect to see further evolutions in car performance.”
Testing facts:
The maximum temperature reached was 35 degrees ambient and 44 degrees on track at 2pm on Wednesday.
The fastest time set throughout the two days of the test was a 1m34.136s benchmark from Hamilton on Wednesday morning, on an experimental tyre.
As well as the running on experimental tyres, the teams that were not testing specifically for Pirelli ran with the current tyres. Teams are allowed an overall maximum total of 135 sets of tyres for testing this year, including the in-season tests.
Caterham ran a total of 64 laps with Robin Frijns on Tuesday before a hydraulic problem curtailed running in the afternoon. Frijns tested one new construction and two new compounds.
On Wednesday Mercedes ran a total of 120 laps with Lewis Hamilton, testing three new constructions and three new compounds. Williams ran a total of 64 laps with Felipe Nasr, testing two new constructions and one new compound. The team stopped in the afternoon with a technical issue.
The next in-season test will take place after the Spanish Grand Prix. Sauber and Toro Rosso will test for Pirelli on the opening day, followed by Force India and McLaren on day two. The final tyre test will be held at Silverstone, after the British Grand Prix. Ferrari and Lotus will drive on the opening day, followed by Red Bull and Marussia on day two.
Bahrain, 4 April 2014: Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery summarised 10 key tyre points for 2014 between the two free practice sessions at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres have been nominated.
1. More energy goes into the tyres from sliding Pirelli changed all the slick tyre compounds and profiles this year to take into account increased wheelspin and lack of downforce. Paul Hembery: “The cars are sliding around more and that has a big effect on the tyre. There’s only 5% less energy going into the tyre in the new-look Formula One – but instead of it coming from lateral forces and cornering, some of that energy is now coming from sliding.”
2. Fewer marbles out on track There are fewer marbles out on track: one of Pirelli’s key objectives. Paul Hembery: “We did see some in Malaysia, but that’s not a good example as it’s a very abrasive track. Overall, we’re very confident that we’ve made a suitable step forward in the direction of reducing marbles.”
3. Less aquaplaning and more performance from the rain tyres Pirelli changed the compounding and design of the full wet tyre to improve aquaplaning performance in particular. Paul Hembery: “Firstly, we saw during qualifying in Melbourne that there is a closer crossover point with the intermediate tyre, which makes it more usable. Secondly, in Malaysia there were no comments about aquaplaning, which was all we heard about last year. The new rain tyre performs even better in cool temperatures: during wet weather testing in Barcelona it was three seconds a lap quicker than the previous rain tyre.”
4. Decreased graining Pirelli has used all the tyres so far apart from the supersoft, with decreased graining. And even when surface graining does occur, it soon goes away. Paul Hembery: “Compared to previous seasons the graining brushed off after a few laps.”
5. Flat spots disappearing Even though the cars are locking up more under braking, flat spots are not remaining on the surface of the tyre as they used to, thanks to the new compounds. Paul Hembery:“After the drivers complete another section of corners, the flat spots wear off, whereas in the past that would have caused another tyre change.”
6. Two-stop races to become normal With so much to learn from the new cars, it was only in Malaysia that tyre strategy really emerged. Paul Hembery: “Hulkenberg completed the race with just two stops as opposed to the three-stopper that we felt would be the case. With the rapid evolution of the cars we anticipate this year, we’re sure that we’ll see the vast majority of races all moving towards a two-stop strategy.”
7. Why degradation is important Wear is the physical consumption of the tyre, which has been substantially reduced this year (and why you see fewer marbles). Degradation is another thing entirely: the loss of tyre performance per lap. Paul Hembery: “It’s a strange situation when drivers talk about degradation: it needs to happen as if it doesn’t, we won’t have any pit stops. It’s a parameter that is vital to create the strategy.”
8. Tyres less stressed than before Despite more torque the rear tyre footprint isn’t being worked as hard as it was last year – due to the updated construction. Paul Hembery: “We can see that in the wear profiles: it’s slightly concentrated in the centre of the tyre. As downforce increases that will change, because the biggest improvements will come from increased downforce and traction from rear tyres.”
9. Regular gaps between the compounds Pirelli aims to have one-second gaps between all the compounds. While this is not currently the case, it is likely to be by the end of the year. Paul Hembery: “We were slightly surprised by the gap between the hard and the medium, which was one and a half seconds in Malaysia. That is down to decreased downforce levels at the start of the season: the hard tyre is not worked as much as it once was, so it slides more. Improvements in performance will make that gap smaller.”
10. More cars out on track Pirelli has supplied extra tyres for FP1 and Q3 – which has meant more cars out on track.Paul Hembery: “It’s worked so far. In the first half-hour of FP1, the teams have been doing 10 or 12 laps with the extra tyres but they could do a lot more. In qualifying our intention was to provide the top cars running in Q3 for the fans, without disadvantaging the others.”
***
BAHRAIN: FRIDAY FREE PRACTICE
During FP1 and FP2 in Bahrain the gap between the medium and the soft tyre was bigger than expected, with more than a second between the two compounds. There was very low wear, and some thermal degradation on the soft tyre, which appears to be very stable and opens the door to some possible two-stop strategies for the race.
Paul Hembery: “Here in Bahrain we are currently seeing a performance gap of more than a second between the medium and soft compounds. However, we will have to wait untiltomorrow to have a clearer idea of what the final difference will be in the race.”
FP1:
FP2:
L Hamilton
1m37.502s Medium Used
L Hamilton
1m34.325s Soft New
N Rosberg
1m37.733s Medium Used
N Rosberg
1m34.690s Soft New
F Alonso
1m37.953s Medium New
F Alonso
1m35.360s Soft New
Tyre statistics of the day:
Soft
Medium
Intermediate
Wet
kms driven *
1,744
3,488
N/A
N/A
sets used overall **
22
66
N/A
N/A
highest number of laps **
25
26
N/A
N/A
* The above number gives the total amount of kilometres driven in FP1 and FP2 today, all drivers combined.
** Per compound, all drivers combined.
eom/a Pirelli release/dvd
Wheel checks on Pirelli tyres at the US GP in Austin last year. A Pirelli file photo
Sepang, 28 March 2014: Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Nico Rosberg took over from team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the top of the practice timesheets in Malaysia, the German driver ending day one at Sepang with a lap of 1:39.909.
“It was crazy conditions out there,” Rosberg said after the after FP2 session. “In the very, very warm temperatures, it’s a huge challenge to get everything right. The cars are on the edge and the tyre degradation was higher than expected today – we are sliding a bit more this year, perhaps because of the reduced downforce levels,” he added.
Rosberg was just three hundredths of a second clear of second-placed Kimi Raikkonen, however, the Finn continuing the good work he’d put in during the morning session when he backed up Hamilton at the top of the timesheet. Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, improved from seventh in session one to third in the afternoon, the Red Bull Racing driver ending his day just six hundredths of a second behind Rosberg.
Rosberg’s best time was set about half an hour into the session, his lap being good enough to dislodge Wiliams’ Felipe Massa’s Williams, who had been the first to top the timesheet on the medium tyres. Lewish Hamilton, in the second Mercedes then went second fastest but then Raikkonen arrived with a lap of 1:39.944 to split the Silver Arrows.
It was then Vettel’s turn to move up the leaderboard. The Red Bull Racing driver set his fastest lap on his second lap on the medium tyre – suggesting that the RB10 may be kinder on its tyres on Sepang’s abrasive surface than some other cars.
With Hamilton fourth, Fernando Alonso ended up fifth fastest, half a tenth slower than Hamilton and just eight thousandths of a second quicker than Massa, who slid to sixth. Daniel Ricciardo finished his day’s work in seventh spot, three tenths of a second down on team-mate Vettel.
It was another troubled session for Lotus, however. After a turbo failure in the opening session Pastor Maldonad’s car required an engine change and that restricted the Venezuelan to the garage for the afternoon. Team-mate Romain Grosjean did make it out on track but his running was ended by a gearbox problem after 14 laps.
Caterham too had a difficult time, with Kamui Kobayashi unable to run because of an energy store problem. Tea-mate Marcus Ericsson was able to complete a full programme, however.
2014 Malaysian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 Result
1 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:39.909 30
2 7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:39.944 0.035 3
Nico Rosberg tops time sheets in FP2 on Friday at Sepang. A Pirelli photo
0
3 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:39.970 0.061 30
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:40.051 0.142 32
5 14 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:40.103 0.194 29
6 19 Felipe Massa Williams-Mercedes 1:40.112 0.203 34
7 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:40.276 0.367 29
8 22 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:40.628 0.719 28
9 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Mercedes 1:40.638 0.729 35
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:40.691 0.782 34
11 25 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Renault 1:40.777 0.868 33
12 20 Kevin Magnussen McLaren-Mercedes 1:41.014 1.105 20
13 99 Adrian Sutil Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.257 1.348 28
14 26 Daniil Kvyat STR-Renault 1:41.325 1.416 32
15 21 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1:41.407 1.498 34
16 11 Sergio Perez Force India-Mercedes 1:41.671 1.762 25
17 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:42.531 2.622 14
18 4 Max Chilton Marussia-Ferrari 1:43.638 3.729 20
The dispersion of water increases from 60 to 65 l/s (+ 8%)
Milan, 26 Feb 2014: Teams will get their final chance to test the 2014 P Zero tyres and prepare for the forthcoming Formula One season at the last four-day test in Bahrain this week. Coming straight off the back of the previous four-day test in Bahrain last week, the teams will be able to keep up their testing momentum as they assess the four new slick compounds in the Pirelli range: P Zero Orange hard, P Zero White medium, P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft. At the first test of the year in Jerez, the teams also got the chance to test the Cinturato Green intermediate tyres and Cinturato Blue full wets. Please see and utilise the attached copyright-free 3D video, the first of a series of to be issued by Pirelli this year, which explains the precise functionality of the tyres.
Here is how the Pirelli Formula One tyre range looks in 2014:
P Zero Orange hard
The toughest tyre of the range is designed for circuits that are often characterised by high ambient temperatures, putting the highest energy loadings through the tyres with fast corners or abrasive surfaces. The compound takes longer to warm up, but offers maximum durability – which frequently means that it plays a key role in race strategy. This is a high working range compound. Like all the 2014 tyres, this is a brand new compound with a new construction to meet the requirements of the latest cars, with increased torque, extra energy recovery systems, but reduced aerodynamics.
P Zero White medium
Theoretically this is the most perfectly balanced of all the tyres, with an ideal compromise between performance and durability. As a result, it is very versatile, but often comes into its own on circuits that tend towards high speeds and energy loadings. This is a low working range compound. As is the case with all the 2014 tyres, there is a new profile at the front to take into account the altered vehicle dynamics and improve handling.
P Zero Yellow soft
This is one of the tyres most frequently used tyres in the range, striking a very good balance between performance and durability, with the accent on performance. It is still biased towards speed rather than long distances, but is nonetheless capable of providing a competitive advantage both at the beginning of the race on full fuel and when used as a ‘sprint’ tyre at the end. This is a high working range compound. All the compounds are generally slightly harder than their equivalents last year, in order to deliver the same performance despite the extra forces placed on the tyres.
P Zero Red supersoft
The softest compound in the range is ideal for slow and twisty circuits, especially in cold weather, when maximum mechanical grip is needed. The supersoft benefits from an extremely rapid warm-up time, which makes it ideal in qualifying as well, but the flip side to that important characteristic is of course increased degradation. This is a low working range compound. One of the key evolutions this year has been optimisation of the footprint pressure and temperature distribution. This presents a more even contact with the asphalt, improving grip and handling.
Cinturato Green intermediate
The intermediates are the most versatile of the rain tyres, dispersing approximately 25 litres of water per second at full speed. They can be used on a wet as well as a drying track. The Cinturato Green is a new concept for this year, with a number of the development aspects also transferred to the full wet tyre.
Cinturato Blue wet
The full wet tyres can disperse up to 65 litres of water per second at full speed (increased from 60 litres last year) making them the most effective solution for heavy rain. The latest evolution of the Cinturato Blue means that it is also effective on a drying track, with increased durability. The full wet tyre has a new compound and a redesigned rear tread pattern to further reduce aquaplaning. The result of this intensive work is increased driveability in a wide variety of conditions.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery: “We saw more work on tyres at the recent Bahrain test than there had been at the very first test in Jerez, and with teams likely to be attempting more qualifying and race simulations this week in preparation for the opening grand prix, we would expect this upward curve of tyre work to continue over the final four days in Bahrain. It’s still early days, but so far we’ve seen both performance and durability from our latest P Zero tyres, which all feature new compounds and structures to maximise the unique power characteristics of the latest-generation cars. The contact patch is greater, to help put down the extra torque, and the working ranges are wider to reduce degradation. As the lap times in Bahrain have shown, we’re already very close to 2013 levels of performance, despite much smaller capacity engines and a completely fresh set of technical challenges.”
Testing Facts:
Teams are allowed an overall maximum total of 135 sets of tyres for testing this year, including the in-season tests. The maximum total for the three pre-season tests is 85 sets of tyres: 25 sets for Jerez and 30 each for the two Bahrain tests.
Teams have a certain number of fixed compound choices totalling 22 sets per car in Bahrain (see table below). On top of that each team was also able to choose in advance eight more sets to try in Bahrain. The ‘base’ slick compounds – ‘winter’, hard, medium and soft – were selected by Pirelli in advance together with the teams to reflect the characteristics of Bahrain.
More Testing Facts and Figures:
Compound
Amount provided per team *
Fastest time in 2013 **
Supersoft
N/A
N/A
Soft
2
N/A
Medium
10
1.32.330
Hard
8
1.36.961
‘Winter’ hard
2
N/A
Intermediate
N/A
N/A
Wet
N/A
N/A
* Above choice made by Pirelli in agreement with the teams. Each team could choose further 8 sets for this test.
** Based on the results of the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain, 22 Feb Mercedes tops time charts on the last day of testing at Bahrain on 22 Feb 2014. A photo by Pirelli Tyres2014: The Formula One teams have been able to complete more testing distance with Pirelli’s new 2014 range of tyres in Bahrain, as they begin to get a better picture of how the latest tyres interact with the radically different new cars. A number of teams were able to complete race simulations, as well as qualifying and pit stop practice, assessing every aspect of tyre usage. Weather conditions remained dry and warm, in the region of 20 degrees centigrade or higher: temperatures that are much more representative of the season as a whole.
In accordance with the nominations they had made in advance, the teams were able to try out the entire 2014 range of P Zero tyres in Bahrain, as well as a special ‘winter’ hard compound, with a faster warm-up.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director:
“The teams were able to learn more about tyres over the four days in Bahrain than they could in Jerez two weeks ago, thanks to increased running time and optimal weather conditions. Although the teams are still at a comparatively early point on the development curve with their new cars, testing data so far indicates that the 2014 tyres are more consistent and durable than their predecessors. As a result, we are also seeing fewer ‘marbles’ on the circuit: one of our objectives at the start of this season. However, teams are likely to improve their performance and understanding of the car-tyre package still further in the test to come, which means that the lap time differences we have been seeing between the compounds are likely to come down: especially when the teams discover more downforce as the season goes on. We’ve collected plenty of useful data from this test, but of course we are still ready and able to change the specification of the tyres for the start of the season if this is shown to be necessary.”
Testing Facts:
Teams ramped up their distance considerably over the four days of the test. In total, 482 laps were completed on the first day of the test, with 676 laps on day two, 695 laps on day three and 469 laps on day four.
Teams had a maximum of 30 sets of tyres per car to test in Bahrain. Pirelli, in conjunction with the teams, chose 22 of those sets (plus an extra medium ‘prototype’ set – used to test the performance of tyres without tyre warmers, which is part of the 2015 regulations). The teams were then able to choose in advance the remaining eight sets, up to their maximum permitted total of 30. In total, 135 sets of tyres are allowed per team for testing purposes throughout 2014.
The performance differences in Bahrain between the compounds so far are approximately as follows: the supersoft is around 0.7s per lap faster than the soft, the soft is around 1.2s per lap quicker than the medium, and the medium is around 1.3s per lap quicker than the hard. These gaps should come down considerably as the cars evolve.
More Testing Facts:
A total of 24 drivers took part in the Bahrain test, completing 2,322 laps and 12,566 kilometres. Last year, the second test of the year took place in Barcelona, over exactly the same four-day period, during which the drivers completed 16,006 kilometres.
The total testing distance completed so far this year, combining Jerez and Bahrain is 3,792 laps and 19,074 kilometres. This time last year, the teams had completed 6,970 laps and 31,640 kilometres of pre-season testing (Jerez and Barcelona 2013 combined).
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg set the fastest time of the Bahrain test, with a time of 1m33.283s on Saturday with the P Zero Yellow soft. By way of comparison, the fastest race lap at the Bahrain Grand Prix last year was 1m36.961s, set by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel. Pole position at the Bahrain Grand Prix last year was 1m32.330s: within a second of Rosberg’s fastest test time today. At the Bahrain race last year, pole was also set by Rosberg.
The highest number of total laps completed at this year’s Bahrain test by any one driver was 174 laps, from Nico Rosberg (Mercedes). Williams driver Valtteri Bottas set the second-highest total, 171 laps.
Testing numbers:
Total number of sets brought to Bahrain: 341 sets which equals 1,364 tyres
– of which supersoft tyres: 14 sets
– of which soft tyres: 61 sets
– of which medium tyres: 139 sets
– of which hard tyres: 94 sets
– of which ‘winter’ hard tyres: 28 sets
– of which intermediate tyres: 3 sets
– of which wet tyres: 2 sets
Total amount of sets used: 199
– of which supersoft tyres: 5 sets
– of which soft tyres: 37 sets
– of which medium tyres: 89 sets
– of which hard tyres: 51 sets
– of which ‘winter’ tyres: 17 sets
– of which intermediate tyres: 0 sets
– of which wet tyres: 0 sets
Longest run:
16 laps on the supersoft compound
16 laps of the soft compound
22 laps on the medium compound
22 laps on the hard compound
9 laps on the ‘winter’ compound
0 laps on the intermediate compound
0 laps on the wet compound
Highest / lowest ambient temperature over four days: 27 °C / 17 °C
Highest / lowest track temperature over four days: 37 °C / 18 °C
Testing Times:
Day 1
1. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) 1m36.880s on Soft New
2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1m37.879s on Medium New
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m37.908s on Hard New
Day 2
1. Kevin Magnussen (McLaren) 1m34.910s on Supersoft New
2. Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) 1m36.445s on Soft New
3. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 1m36.516s on Soft Used
Day 3
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m34.263s on Soft New
2. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1m34.976s on Supersoft New
3. Felipe Massa (Williams) 1m37.066s on Soft New
Day 4
1. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1m33.283s on Soft New
2. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1m34.957s on Soft New
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 1m36.718s on Soft New
ends
Milan, 18 Feb 2014: The second four-day official test of the year takes place in Bahrain from Wednesday to Saturday this week: the same venue that will host the third and final pre-season test lateA screen shot from Pirelli website as Pirelli all set to test tyres without warming jackets.r this month. The warm ambient conditions of around 20 degrees centigrade or higher are set to provide a marked contrast to the first test of the year in Jerez, which featured low temperatures and rain, a Pirelli Press Release said.
All the teams are expected to be present at the Bahrain test, as they continue to optimise the interaction between their radical new cars – with 1.6-litre turbocharged engines and advanced energy recuperation systems – and the latest generation of Pirelli tyres, which feature new compounds and constructions this year.
The track contains a wide variety of speeds and corners with high longitudinal demands that address most aspects of a tyre’s behaviour, making it an ideal test venue.
Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery: ”The first test of the year in Jerez was all about the teams getting their first taste of a very different set of technical regulations, so as expected running was limited and evaluating tyres was not a priority. On top of that, winter conditions in Europe – even in southern Spain – are not representative of the race conditions we will generally encounter throughout the rest of the season. In Bahrain, we’re expecting better weather and more running, which will allow ourselves and the teams to assimilate more data and knowledge of the tyres.”
Testing Facts:
Teams are allowed an overall maximum total of 135 sets of tyres for testing this year, including the in-season tests. The maximum total for the three pre-season tests is 85 sets of tyres: 25 sets for Jerez and 30 each for the two Bahrain tests.
The teams will be able to test three slick compounds in Bahrain: hard, medium and soft. On top of this, they will also be able to test the ‘winter’ hard compound, which Pirelli has created to ensure a rapid warm-up even at low temperatures. The teams have asked to try this tyre, designed for Jerez, in Bahrain as well in order to assess how it performs in higher ambient temperatures. The ‘winter” version is recognisable by the fact that it has no markings, whereas the ‘standard’ 2014 hard compound carries orange markings.
Pirelli is also bringing an extra set of medium tyres per team to Bahrain, with 2014 construction and compound. However, these are actually considered to be ‘prototypes’ as their purpose is to test tyre behaviour without warming blankets, which will be banned from 2015 onwards.
Of the 30 sets at each team’s disposal, 22 sets of the four slick tyres (hard, ‘winter’ hard, medium, and soft) are selected by Pirelli in accordance with the teams. The remaining eight sets are chosen by the teams in advance, to suit their individual run plans.
More Testing Facts and Figures:
Compound Amount provided per team * Fastest time in 2013 **
Supersoft N/A N/A
Soft 2 N/A
Medium 10 1:32,330
Prototype ‘medium’ *** 1 N/A
Hard 8 1:36,961
‘Winter’ hard 2 N/A
Intermediate N/A N/A
Wet N/A N/A
* Above choice made by Pirelli in agreement with the teams. Each team could choose further 8 sets for this test.
** Based on the results of the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix.
*** Not included in the overall test allocation of 135 sets per team.
ends
