Anyone with an ultra-sharp memory will note that Pirelli's tyre selection for the 2018 Australian Grand Prix is the same as last year's opening round. Except it isn't...
Teams will indeed have the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft compounds at their disposal in Melbourne, but Pirelli has gone one step softer across its range this year, so the rubber which meets the road around Albert Park will differ slightly from 2017.
"Barcelona testing already provided an indication of the step forward in performance taken by the 2018 cars and compounds, and we should see this carried through to the very different conditions in Australia," explains Pirelli's Mario Isola.
"Exactly what those conditions could be is yet to be seen: the weather at this time of year in Melbourne can vary from cold and wet to very warm.
"From what we can see so far, this year’s softer compounds should open up the possibility for either one or two pit stops this year, as opposed to one for the majority of drivers last year.
"As usual at the first grand prix of the season, there are still a number of questions to be answered, but we hope to see an exciting race with tyre strategy playing a key role."
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