Uncertainty hanging over the Pirelli tyres for race day

There is a certain level of uncertainty hanging over the Pirelli tyres as the teams prepare for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix, with very limited knowledge of how the tyres will behave in longer stints. With the weather inclement throughout the majority of the weekend so far, the behavior of particularly the softer tyre is uncertain.

With tomorrow’s race forecast to be run under dry conditions, all drivers will naturally be required to use both the soft (yellow) and the medium (white) compounds. The medium compound was used extensively on Friday, albeit when the rain was not falling. However, the softer tyre compound has not yet been run as extensively as the medium, with the drivers not even using the soft compound on Friday.

This therefore means the only time the teams and drivers had the opportunity to use the soft compound was earlier this morning during FP3, and momentarily during the opening 20 minutes of qualifying before the rain once again intervened. With this weekend being the first in which Pirelli have visited the Hockenheimring as Formula 1’s sole tyre supplier, there is no data from years gone by for the teams to utilize.

“It’s difficult to make any predictions regarding tomorrow, because there’s a good deal of uncertainty relating to the behavior of the tyres over a long run.” Explained Ferrari’s team principal, Stefano Domenicali, “We will try to make the most of our potential, aware that our opponents are very strong. Reliability as always is the priority, which is something we never forget.”

Jenson Button experimented with the softer compound throughout third practice, however the 2009 World Champion struggled with them. With the cooler temperatures experience at the Hockenheimring, trying to get heat into the tyres proved a troublesome task. With the uncertainty surrounding the Pirelli tyres, tomorrow’s race has all the ingredients to be a highly entertaining race.

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