Third stage and third choice of compounds for Pirelli. In fact, the Italian company with a long P is preparing to get back on track with the Australian Grand Prix and with one novelty above all: compound jumping. In fact, on the new Melbourne track, we will see the C2 compound (the Hard), the C3 (the Medium) and, instead of the C4, we will have the C5 (Soft). Let's find out more in detail:
THE TIRES ON THE TRACK
- This year, the compound nomination for the famous Melbourne street circuit is something new, given the jump between medium and soft compounds. In fact, the C2 compound will be the P Zero White hard and the C3 the P Zero Yellow medium, but instead of the C4 there will be the softer C5 compound like P Zero Red soft. This will therefore be the race weekend debut for the softest compound in the 2022 Pirelli range, and will mark a change from the never-run 2020 race and the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, when the C2, C3 and C4.
- The track underwent major changes for the first time since 1996, the year it debuted in the championship, and now has a new layout and asphalt. Seven corners were modified and two removed altogether, bringing the total number of corners to just 14 and shortening the track by 28 metres. The most significant change is the removal of the chicane formed by turns 9-10, which has been replaced by a long, wide bend. Turns 1 and 3 have been widened on the inside, as has Turn 6, which is now significantly faster. Continuing the lap, what used to be turn 13 (now turn 11) was lengthened on entry and the turning radius changed. The penultimate corner (now corner 13) is another of those to have been widened and also one of many whose radius of curvature has been modified to allow for different trajectories.
- As a temporary track, the asphalt at Albert Park was usually quite uneven, although resurfacing may have improved this. The asphalt should offer low grip (2/5 on the Pirelli scale) and reasonably low levels of abrasion, which should lead to low wear. The track will likely be very 'green' and slippery at the start of the weekend, with a high degree of evolution expected (with a score of four out of five in the Pirelli standings). Traction is important to get good momentum out of the short straights and corners, while braking and lateral forces are average. Loads are also average, with overall tire stress scoring 3/5 on the Pirelli scale.
Isola: "Australia track with many unknowns"
In view of the Australian GP, the words of the head of Pirelli's Motorsport area, Mario Isola, could not be missing:
“Compared to the past, and with the riders not racing there for two seasons, this year there are some uncertainties for the Australian Grand Prix: first of all, the layout of the circuit has been heavily revised to facilitate overtaking and, consequently , there is also new asphalt which should be quite smooth. This means that the track is likely to offer very low grip levels at the start, with a high degree of evolution expected over the weekend and an extremely slippery surface if it rains. We will stop in Melbourne a couple of weeks later than in the past, now autumn has already started in the southern hemisphere so the weather conditions could be changeable. Last but not least, this year there is a completely new generation of cars and tires that the drivers are still trying to get to grips with. For all these reasons there will be a lot of work for teams and drivers to do in the free practice sessions. We decided to opt for the compound jump in the nomination as we noticed in development testing that there was a relatively small performance gap between the C3 and C4 compounds and we believe Albert Park, with its new asphalt and layout, is a good circuit to try this option”.
SOURCE: Pirelli F1 Media