Tyre compounds selected for Zandvoort, Monza and Madrid

Pirelli informed the teams of the tyre compound selections for the next three rounds of the championship. The medium range, comprising the C2, C3 and C4, will be used for the Dutch and Spanish Grands Prix. In contrast, the Italian Grand Prix will feature the softest trio in the range: C3, C4 and C5.

At Zandvoort, the same selection as last year has been confirmed for a circuit characterised by medium and low-speed corners, including two banked turns. The vertical and lateral forces acting on the tyres are high, as is the level of aerodynamic downforce required. The track surface offers a relatively low level of grip, further affected by sand from the nearby beaches being blown onto the circuit by the wind.

The Monza circuit, resurfaced a couple of years ago, requires low-downforce car configurations. The time lost in the pit lane during a tyre change is among the highest of the season. As a result, teams will look to extend their stints while managing degradation in an effort to complete the race with a one-stop strategy. However, high temperatures could make that approach more difficult to execute.

The race to be held on Madrid’s semi-permanent street circuit will make its debut on the Formula 1 calendar as the Spanish Grand Prix. The tyre compound selection has been determined on the basis of simulations carried out using data and characteristics from the new track, which features 22 highly varied corners, significant elevation changes and the longest banked corner on the calendar.

Our analysis of the Madring indicates that the loads acting on the tyres are comparable to those seen at circuits such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. The choice of the medium range is therefore intended, based on the characteristics of the track, to favour a two-stop strategy and provide greater protection against the risk of excessive overheating in the event of high temperatures, a situation to which the softest compound in the range would be more susceptible.