Formula 1 is preparing to compete in the penultimate round of the 2021 World Championship, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to be held on the new city circuit of Jeddah.
For this appointment Pirelli will bring the following compounds:
Pirelli PZero White Hard C2
Pirelli PZero Yellow Medium C3
Pirelli PZero Red Soft C4
This means that Pirelli will bring the core compounds of its 2021 range which goes from the C1, the hardest, to the C5, the softer. The extreme compounds, therefore, will not be used this weekend.
Why those compounds were named
- For the first time in Formula 1 on the new, spectacular city circuit of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the 34th state to host a Grand Prix, Pirelli has chosen the three central compounds of the range, the most popular selection this season: the C2 like P Zero White hard, C3 like P Zero Yellow medium and C4 like P Zero Red soft.
- Jeddah is the second new circuit this year after the one in Qatar two weeks ago, but the two tracks are completely different in terms of tire stress: the Losail track is one of the most demanding of all in terms of lateral forces. Jeddah is a challenge even richer in unknowns, as the track has just been completed and there is little data to build on.
- Existing data and simulations carried out by the teams suggest that the three core compounds of the range are the best solution for Jeddah and should respond well to the challenges offered by this fast track, with a race running over a distance of 50 laps.
Characteristics of the track
- The track was conceived by the well-known circuit designer Hermann Tilke and is located in the Jeddah Corniche resort. This is the first street circuit after the Baku stage last June.
- The track, which runs along the coast for a total length of 6,174 kilometers, is the longest city circuit on the calendar (the second in length after Spa) and is also probably one of the fastest, with an average speed of over 250 km / h seen in simulation: a value second only to that of Monza, the “Temple of Speed”.
- Of the track’s 27 corners, Turn 13 is one of the most challenging: it’s a left-hander with a 12-degree bank that should subject the tires to very high g-forces. Jeddah has more corners than any other track on the calendar, and the tires will be constantly working.
- Several areas of the circuit are quite narrow and with no escape routes, due to the walls very close to the edges of the track. The probability of the safety car entering the scene is quite high, and this will affect the strategies.
- The Jeddah race is part of the last three stages of the season which are run at night, starting at 20:30 local time. As a result, the temperature variations of the asphalt will be different than usual, with important fluctuations between one session and another. FP1 and FP3 take place just before sunset, so only the FP2 on Friday and qualifying on Saturday, scheduled for 20:00, will have conditions representative of the race.
- Warm but humid conditions are expected due to the circuit’s proximity to the north coast of Jeddah. Since it has never been used before, the track will likely be “green” and slippery at the start of the weekend, but the presence of Formula 2 and a Porsche competition as support races should favor the evolution of the track.
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s car racing manager: “Jeddah represents perhaps the biggest unknown factor of this year since the track was completed very shortly before the race. Consequently we can only count on the simulations provided by F1 and the teams and on other information that we managed to collect to establish the compound nomination. This street circuit seems to be different from any other we have seen so far. The high speed and the alternation of fast corners will certainly play an important role in determining the behavior of the tires. Jeddah has more corners of any other track on the calendar and one of them – the 13 – also has a 12 degree banking, so there are quite a few factors that will keep the tires constantly engaged“.
Minimum pressures at the start
Front: 23.5 psi
Rear: 20.5 psi
Maximum camber
Front: -3.25 °
Rear: -2.00 °
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