Pirelli will test new soft tires on Friday
Harder tires to reduce wear and the number of pit stops deemed too numerous by the manufacturer.
On Friday, Pirelli will offer teams the opportunity to test new soft tires. The Italian manufacturer hopes that this new compound will reduce tire wear and therefore the number of pit stops, which have been deemed too frequent since the beginning of the season.
« It’s not a big change compared to the current specification, but it’s designed to match our latest versions of our hard and medium tires, which are slightly more durable than their original specification to reduce degradation, » said Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director.
It is true that aside from the sometimes significant number of pit stops, the wear of Pirelli tires produces a lot of marbles outside the racing line, making grip conditions sometimes tricky when a driver goes off the ideal line. However, Hembery emphasizes that these are only tests and that there is still nothing planned regarding its introduction in races.
« There is no decision at the moment regarding when we will use this new tire, but it will be very interesting to hear the teams’ comments about it, » explains Hembery.
