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Pirelli chooses tyres up to Silverstone

ESPNF1 Staff
May 8, 2011 « Michael looking to stay in F1 | »
Pirelli has consulted with the teams before selecting the tyre compounds for future races © Sutton Images
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Pirelli has announced the tyre compounds that will be used in the Canadian, European and British Grands Prix.

So far this season the two compounds that have been used have only been the hard and soft tyres, a trend which will continue in Barcelona. The Monaco Grand Prix will be the first to see that change, with the soft and supersoft tyres being the two compounds supplied, and Pirelli has chosen to use the same two in Canada. The medium compound will make its debut in Valencia alongside the supersoft, before reverting to the hard and soft tyres at Silverstone.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembrey said the choices are difficult to make, as the tyre manufacturer receives input from the teams and the FIA.

"When calculating which tyres we will bring to every circuit, we bear a number of factors in mind such as the weather conditions and the nature of the surface," Hembrey said. "We then make sure that we select two tyres that will complement each other in terms of racing spectacle and potential strategies as well. So we've come up with tyre nominations that should not only be well suited to the characteristics of each circuit but also provide a great race for the drivers and spectators, with plenty of scope for the teams to exercise their strategic skills.

Selecting the tyres is a very tough job for us, as in Montreal, Valencia and Silverstone we have no historical data, but we're feeling confident that the choices we have made, in close consultation with the teams and the FIA, should continue the Pirelli tradition of close racing that we have seen so far this year."

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