Pirelli 'leaving the door open' to one or two stops in 2018

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Pirelli's Mario Isola believes the Italian manufacturer has put together a range of tyre compounds which gives teams strategy flexibility for 2018.

Isola collected the feedback from teams and drivers from this week's tyre test in Abu Dhabi where everyone had a chance to sample Pirelli's 2018 selection, featuring a new pink hypesoft tyre.

"The feedback from the drivers was positive and the hyper soft turned out to be 1 second faster than the ultra soft," Isola told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Pirelli's new hypersoft tyre gets favourable reviews

"The other compounds were a little closer together in performance than we expected, but it's not a problem because we are not obliged to bring similar compounds to the races and skipping a step will mean more flexible strategies," he added.

Isola underscored the fact that Pirelli's range, designed to reduce blistering and be less sensitive to pressures and temperatures, will still allow for a one-stop strategy, although two stops will likely be the norm next year.

But the Italian manager also believes its new tyres will broaden possibilities for car design.

"We wanted to leave the door open for one stops, yes," he confirmed.

"We believe that these tyres will allow designers to be free to explore two schools of thought: making a car either very fast but hard on the tyres, or kinder with the tyres in order to exploit the softer compounds," Isola said.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.