Usually, the race in Melbourne is thought of as one where drivers only stop once to change tires. But this time, Pirelli, the tire supplier, decided to bring softer tires than before – the C3, C4, and C5 compounds. They did this to make the race more interesting by giving teams different options for strategy.
On Friday, drivers noticed that the tires were wearing out quickly, especially the softest one, the C5. Nico Hulkenberg said the C5 tire wasn’t good for racing.
George Russell, who drives for Mercedes, thinks teams won’t easily pick a one-stop strategy this year. He said, “I think with the softer tires this year, the race is going to be tough.” He added, “In the past, it was easy to do one-stop, but now it seems different. The track was tricky, and many cars had tire issues.”
Usually, the Melbourne race focuses a lot on qualifying, but now, because Pirelli chose softer tires, things are changing.
Esteban Ocon from Alpine also thinks the new tire selection will make the race more interesting. He said, “It was cool to try these new, softer tires compared to last year. I think it’s a good change. The race should be more exciting with different strategies. Last year, we could use one set of tires for the whole race, but this year it will be different.”
Pirelli’s chief engineer, Simone Berra, said they wanted to make strategy choices more exciting in Melbourne. He explained that they knew tire wear, especially graining, would be important. In the past, the hardest tires were the best choice, and races were predictable.
But now, with softer tires, teams have more to think about. They’re saving the hardest tires for the race because they handle wear better. Teams want to use them when it matters most.
Also read: Michelin Pilot Aviation Tires: Cutting-Edge Performance and Sustainability
