F1 News, Reports and Race Results

In a nutshell: which tyres for the Italian GP?

It'll be a home race for Ferrari at Monza next weekend but also for Pirelli which will bring the same medium, soft and supersoft selection of tyres as last year.

Monza is all about long straights, longitudinla forces, acceleration and braking. The track's big kerbs will also likely put the tyres' structure to the test.

A one-stop strategy won last year but two and three stops were also seen. The majority of teams have filled up on the supersoft compound, with Mercedes taking a different approach by not taking the maximum number of 10 sets of the softest rubber for Monza. 

"With the new generation of 2017 cars, we may see lower or similar top speeds to last year, but with more energy going through the tyres because of the extra downforce under the new regulations," explains Pirelli's Mario Isola.

"This combination of speed and downforce defines the amount of work that the tyres have to do. The tyre choice has also been influenced by the risk of blistering at Monza, as there are plenty of braking areas in a straight line.

"This means that the cambered shoulder area of the tyre can easily overheat and so cause more blistering compared to other circuits.

"In the past Monza has given us many different types of weather, but following a very hot summer, it’s reasonable to expect more high temperatures over the weekend.

"How this influences tyre behaviour is likely to be a focus of free practice as the teams examine different potential strategies."

 

Michael Delaney

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