Each type of Pirelli tire will be represented by a different colored logo in 2011…
Italian manufacturer – tiremaker – Pirelli has returned to F1 for the first time in 20 years as its sole supplier following the departure of Bridgestone. This is only one of the most important changes. That’s not all. Formula One tyres will be colour coded from next week’s season-opener in Australia to help fans tell which of six kinds are being used by drivers.
New supplier Pirelli has revealed the definitive identification method for its 2011 Formula One tires, with each type of tire represented by a different colored logo. The company said on Friday that “the colors reflect the unique personality of each tire,” however didn’t elaborate on how that was determined.
The tires likely to be seen most often have fairly traditional yellow, white or silver logos, although the supersoft and the two types of wet will be a little more interesting. The similarity between the white and silver should not be a problem because they won’t be seen on the same race weekend. The colors are as follows:
Wet – orange
Intermediate – light blue
Supersoft – red
Soft – yellow
Medium – white
Hard – silver
“We’re very excited by the prospect of returning to Formula One for the first time in 20 years, and we’re aiming to be a proactive and colorful partner in Formula One,” said Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsports director. “So what better way to symbolize this than a brightly colored selection of Pirelli logos to run on the sidewalls?
“These will enable both live and television audiences to tell at a glance who is on what compounds, which will be vital knowledge as tires are set to form a key part of race strategy this year.”
The company said in a statement that the first three grands prix of the year — Australia, Malaysia and China — would be hard and soft compounds, meaning that silver and yellow tyres would be first to make an appearance in Melbourne. Seemingly, Pirelli plays a bigger part in race strategy by also increasing the amount of overtaking and producing more pitstops.