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Pirelli: Drivers should be able to push this season

Pirelli: Drivers should be able to push this season

14-03-2019 17:35
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Jake Williams-Smith

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola believes that Formula 1 drivers will be able to race much closer this season with the new tyres the Italian tyre manufacturer has produced.

Since the introduction of Pirelli as the sports official and sole tyre supplier, criticism has been levelled at the manufacturer for producing tyres that degrade quickly and prevent drivers from fighting wheel-to-wheel.

The prioritising of preserving tyres has also led to one-stop strategies being preferred by teams to minimise pit stop time, something that Isola says Pirelli has taken into account with the new tyre range.

"Our C2, C3, and C4 hard, medium and soft nominations this year are roughly equivalent to the 2018 medium, soft and ultrasoft compounds. 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.”