Pirelli reveals 2019 tyres on course for objectives

Pirelli boss Mario Isola has revealed they are happy with the 2019 tyres after meeting their objectives for performance and longevity, despite some concerns.

For the 2019 season, which gets underway this weekend in Melbourne, there are new categories of tyres. Instead of last season's 'Hypersoft' and 'Ultrasoft', etc. we now have the tyres marked by colours: named C1, C2, C3 etc.

There has been some cricitism from the fans, saying the tyre compounds are too difficult to differentiate, and even some drivers have agreed. But Isola revealed that him and his team have met their own criteria for the tyres' performance.

"Our C2, C3 and C4 hard, medium and soft nominations this year are roughly equivalent to the 2018 medium, soft and ultrasoft compounds," Isola explained. "This should allow drivers to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint.

"After a very productive test in Barcelona, we feel satisfied that the 2019 tyre range is on course to meet our objectives of combining performance with durability.

"Of course, there are still a number of aspects - such as degradation over the length of a stint - that will only be revealed after free practice in Australia. One other important consideration in Australia will be seeing how the new aero rules work, and if this leads to more overtaking - which is difficult to establish during testing."