(Apr. 9) – Tire strategy will at the forefront of one of the most technically demanding races of the year: the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. And this year, the lowest performance gap between the different compounds will make the strategy even more crucial. Pirelli will bring its P Zero White medium compound and PZero Yellow soft compound in a circuit well known for its fast and sweeping corners, long straights and heavy breaking areas. The medium and soft compounds guarantee the best compromise between grip and performance on this circuit, but rain is a common occurrence, so the Cinturato Green Intermediates and Cinturato Blue full wets could make their appearance too. Unlike Malaysia, where the rain is usually short and heavy, in China it is generally drizzling and last-longing, making it ideal territory intermediate.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director, said: “China prove to be one of the most fascinating races in our first year, with ttyre strategy at the heart of it, so we have a tough act to follow. However, the philosophy we have adopted this year actually extends the window of peak performance on the slick tires, which means that the drivers should be able to race harder and closer. Altough ambient temperatures can be quite low in China, tire degradation is traditionaly high due to the unique track layout. So although we have the same nomination as we saw in Australia, our P Zeros will face a quite different challenge next week in Shangai.” (Peg)
