Pirelli have unveiled their tyre selection for each race of the 23 round calendar for the 2021 Formula One season.
For a majority of circuits, Pirelli are going to take the same compound choices as they did in 2020, meaning that the hardest compound (C1) will only be used at five races – Portugal, Spain, UK, Netherlands and Japan.
12 races will see the middle range of C2, C3 and C4 tyre compounds utilised including at the new Saudi Arabia Grand Prix plus returning races like the American trio of USA, Mexico and Brazil.
Brazil however is one of two races alongside Azerbaijan which has seen a change of compound choice towards a softer selection compared to 2019, with Azerbaijan taking the C3, C4 and C5 tyre compounds as part of a triple-bill of races using those compounds along with Monaco and Canada.
Like 2020 due to logistical issues caused by Coronavirus pandemic, teams no longer will be able to make tyre choices 14 weeks in advance of flyaway Grands Prix and eight weeks ahead of European races.
Pirelli will therefore again bring fixed allocations for each driver of two sets of the hardest compounds, three sets of the medium tyre and eight sets of the softest available tyre compound at each race weekend.
Both Pirelli and FIA however have the right to alter the tyre selection up to a fortnight before each race if circumstances dictate that a tyre compound change is necessary.
Pirelli’s Head of F1 and Car Racing, Mario Isola believes that the timing of this announcement will help teams with their planning, whilst allowing for potential ‘maximum flexibility’ in the event that there are calendar changes due to travel restrictions.
Isola is also confident that teams will have ‘plenty of data’ to rely on from last season or 2019 due to a lack of drastic changes to tyre selections, although Azerbaijan and Brazil will see a softer tyre selection in place to no usage and little difference to the medium tyre in 2019 races respectively.
Pirelli’s ultimate aim though is to see more exciting races and especially from Azerbaijan plus Brazil with Isola saying: “In both cases, the softer nomination could lead to a greater variety of race strategies.”
Full details on tyre compounds per race can be found below.
|
Race |
Tyre 1 | Tyre 2 |
Tyre 3 |
| Bahrain | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Imola | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Portugal | C1 | C2 | C3 |
| Spain | C1 | C2 | C3 |
| Monaco | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Azerbaijan | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Canada | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| France | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Austria | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| UK | C1 | C2 | C3 |
| Hungary | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Belgium | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Netherlands | C1 | C2 | C3 |
| Italy | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Russia | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Singapore | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Japan | C1 | C2 | C3 |
| USA | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Mexico | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Brazil | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Australia | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Saudi Arabia | C2 | C3 | C4 |
| Abu Dhabi | C3 | C4 | C5 |