A new soft tire in Brazil

Pirelli is already preparing for the 2012 season and tested a tire with the teams in Abu Dhabi during the free practice sessions and also during the young driver tests. In order to continue gathering information on these new compounds, the Italian manufacturer will put them to the test over an entire weekend at the last Grand Prix of the season in Brazil.

« Preparations for the 2012 season are already well underway, so it will be interesting to hear the drivers’ comments on the new hard and soft tires we will provide them with in Brazil. We’ve already gathered a lot of data on the new soft tire during the young driver tests, so it will be interesting to compare that with race data, » said Paul Hembery.

Hembery, head of competition at Pirelli, also specified that the tires used in 2012 would probably be softer and more difficult for teams to understand in order to spice up the races a little more.

« It is important not to be too distracted by the names of the tires: what we call a ‘soft’ tire this year could ultimately be the medium tire next year, as this is what the testing process is for. Generally speaking, our tires will be less conservative next year because the second part of the season showed how well the teams understood our product, helping us to make aggressive choices like with the super soft and soft tires in Korea. »

Pirelli is thrilled with its commitment to Formula 1, as it allows the company to gain recognition in new markets and thus increase its global visibility, as will be the case in Brazil, a market where the Italian manufacturer would like to expand.

« We are thrilled to end the season in Brazil: it is not only a legendary circuit with a fantastic atmosphere but it is also a key market for Pirelli, » added Hembery.