Pirelli explains 'sensible decision' to use hard tyre in Brazil

Paul Hembery describes Pirelli's decision to make its hardest tyre available for this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix as “the only sensible option to offer a number of different strategy variables.”

New-for-2016 regulations have seen teams pick from three different compounds nominated by Pirelli this year.

Formula One’s official supplier has selected its harder range - hards, mediums, softs - only five time out of 21 races. Before Interlagos, the orange-marked rubber was used in Spain, Great-Britain, Malaysia, and Japan.

“We’re seeing the hard tyres in Brazil for the first time since 2013, which should prove to be very effective against the high-energy demands of the track,” Pirelli motorsport director Hembery said.

“In 2015 we had a three-stop race, so with the increase in performance and downforce this year, taking a harder tyre – which has nonetheless been a very rare occurrence this season – was the only sensible option to offer a number of different strategy variables.

“Balancing its durability against the extra performance of the softer compounds will hold the key to the race tactics. The weather will obviously play a big part in these calculations too.”

The Brazilian GP tyre allocations show that all the teams have loaded up on the medium and soft tyres though, with many drivers getting a single set of the hards despite it being of the two mandatory tyre sets for the race.

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