Pirelli adds compounds and colors to F1 for 2018

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Pirelli will add two extra compounds and colors to its range of F1 tyres in 2018, and offer softer rubber all around.

F1's exclusive tyre supplier will introduce next season its softest tyre yet, the Pink 'hypersoft', suitable for tracks where maximum grip shall be required, such as Monaco.

But at the other end of the spectrum, the supplier will also add an orange 'superhard' tyre, while the hard will be colored ice blue.

In total, there will now be seven slick P Zero compounds, which together with the new Cinturato intermediates and wets expand the 2018 range to nine brightly-coloured Pirelli tyres.

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The increased number of compounds, will allow tyre nominations that are more specifically suited to each race next year.

For Pirelli and the teams, this also means that there can be more flexibility and variation in the tyre choices, leading to extra opportunities when it comes to formulating creative race strategies.

"Compared to this year, when the tyres grew by 25% to fit a brand-new generation of cars, the changes for next year are less far-reaching," says Pirelli's Mario Isola.

"However, we’re pleased to present some important innovations with softer and faster compounds across the range: including the new hypersoft.

"We realised that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative: the tyres we have created for 2018 addresses this, in line with the objective of having around two pit stops at mostraces.

"However, the fundamental design concept of the tyres hasn’t changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint.

"The new range consists of faster tyres that should lead to even harder and more spectacular racing in 2018."

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Michael Delaney