the tires
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Just like the cars, the tires have also undergone changes. The tires in fact have a reduced footprint and total diameter, while maintaining an 18” rim. There are five dry compounds, from C1 to C5, and there remain two wet options, Intermediate and Full Wet. For the Albert Park track, Pirelli has selected the softest trio of its range (C3, C4 and C5), as it had already done in the previous two years. The city track is 5.278 km long and develops around a lake, combining fast straights with technical corners at low and medium speed. Its shape does not put a lot of stress on the tires which generally degrade due to wear rather than thermal factors. The asphalt, also composed of roads normally used for city traffic, is very smooth. Last year, on days not affected by rain, graining appeared, albeit at very low levels. Already from free practice it will be interesting to understand how the teams have planned to approach the weekend, the first event in which they will be able to fully express the potential of the cars. An indication will certainly come from the analysis of how many performance runs and long runs will be scheduled as early as Friday. The first track sessions will probably also be used to study how to best balance the temperatures on the two axles. The energy transmitted from the power unit to the rear will inevitably accentuate an asymmetry which may have to be corrected, especially in qualifying, with a differentiation of the tire warmer grades or with a preparation lap before the one launched.
