F1 | Pirelli: trio of soft tires for Imola, Monaco and Canada

After Miami, Formula 1 will return to the Old Continent for the first European stages of the season. In fact, in mid-May, the Circus will move to Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which returns to the calendar after a year of absence due to the flood that hit the region.

After the Italian stage, one of the most prestigious events of the entire world championship will arrive, thanks to its history and its charm, namely the Monaco Grand Prix among the streets of the Principality. After returning to Europe, however, Formula 1 will fly to the New Continent, overseas, for what will be the first GP in North America, i.e. the stage in Canada, in its classic June slot.

Two of these tracks have in common the city nature, with narrow walls and few escape routes, where the driver's feeling with the car becomes fundamental, but Imola also adds exciting challenges. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the drivers have always used sweet words for the ups and downs of the track on the banks of the Santerno, thanks to a layout that offers emotions to those behind the wheel.

Pirelli has communicated to the teams and the FIA ​​the selection of compounds for the next three events, which are identical to each other. The Milanese manufacturer has opted for the three softest solutions of the entire range, namely the C3 as hard, the C4 as medium and the C5 as soft, i.e. the softest compound in the range.

Compared to last year there are no changes, also because the compounds have remained unchanged given that no changes have been made despite a C4 with some new features having been tested towards the end of last season. However, it was then decided not to alter the range, leaving everything in the same state, which is why the teams will have few surprises.

In fact, however, the softer trio in Imola was not put to the test precisely because the event was canceled at the last minute. In 2022, the only precedent for the 18-inch Pirellis at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the C2 was used as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft: therefore, Pirelli decided to bring one step softer tires compared to the past, which goes hand in hand with the choice to wear softer tires to ensure greater action on a tactical level.

The objective is in fact to offer a wider range of strategic options on a track where overtaking is notoriously rather complicated. For Monaco and Montreal, two street circuits characterized by very smooth asphalt, the selection was naturally oriented towards the softer compounds, tested extensively in the past in recent years.