Pirelli chooses its tires for Japan and Korea
For once, Pirelli is breaking with tradition and anticipating its tire choices for several races, announcing its selection this time for the Japanese and Korean Grand Prix.
The Italian manufacturer has decided on its choice of tires for the Japanese and South Korean Grand Prix, which will be held one week apart, on October 9 and 16.
To negotiate the demanding Suzuka circuit, Pirelli has chosen the soft yellow-sidewall tires and medium white-sidewall tires, while for the Yeongam circuit, consisting of three long straights and a relatively challenging section, teams will have at their disposal the super soft red-sidewall tires and soft yellow-sidewall tires.
Thus, the drivers will have the same tires in Suzuka as in Belgium and Italy, while in Korea, they will find the tires they will use in the next race in Singapore, and which they have already used in the past in Monaco, Canada, or Hungary.
« After carefully analyzing our available data, we believe that our choices are the most suited to the characteristics of each circuit » explains Paul Hembery, director of Pirelli Motorsport. « Suzuka is a track where we have raced in the past in GT and motorcycle competition, while Korea is a place where the majority of the paddock is still learning. Nevertheless, we benefit from advanced simulation technologies that allow us to accurately predict the likely behavior of each tire, even on tracks where we have never been. The ultimate performance of the super soft makes it the most dynamic component of the range, which will be a key parameter in the strategy in Korea. Before that, the combination of mediums and softs for Japan is the same as that seen during our home Grand Prix in Italy, and it promises an extremely exciting race ».
