Pirelli Allocates Soft & Medium tyres for Spa F1 Race

Pirelli, just like in the Hungaroring GP, will provide Formula-1 teams with Soft and Medium compound P Zero tyre for the upcoming Spa-Francorchamps race weekend. Paul Hembery, Motorsport Director of Pirelli said,“We have the same tyre nomination for Spa as we did for the Hungaroring – which turned out to be one of the most thrilling races of the season – but the two circuits present a very marked contrast.”

Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps circuits are very different from each other. Hungaroring is a tight and twisty circuit having hot climatic conditions, Spa-Francorchamps on the other hand is a fast and flowing circuit with much cooler temperatures but, there is a constant anxiety in the F1 teams because of seemingly obligatory rains.

Commenting on the challenges that the tyres are likely to face at Spa, Pirelli said, “managing the amount of energy going through the tyres is one of the keys to success at Spa. This consists of not only forces exerted through cornering, braking, and acceleration but also the loads generated by the huge changes in elevation, typified by the famous Eau Rouge-Raidillon complex.”

This will be the fifth time in 2015 F1 season that the Soft & Medium tyre are chosen for the race weekend.

Pirelli further explained their decision and said, “We’ve got plenty of high-energy loads going through the tyres in many directions due to all the different forces at work, but ambient temperatures still tend to be quite low, so the soft and medium tyres represent the best compromise between performance and durability. Spa is a race where anything can happen, with a high incidence of safety cars and changing weather, so tyre strategy is important, as well as each team’s ability to constantly read the race and react quickly to any opportunities that present themselves. The recent Spa 24 Hours – which is our biggest event of the year – featured more changes of lead than you could count, as well as a succession of incidents and safety cars in the first half of the race. That showcases just what a spectacular and unpredictable competition this amazing circuit can regularly provide.”