Formula 1 will hardly know what rest is during the month of July. Leaving Silverstone behind, this weekend the great circus returns to the Red Bull Ring to celebrate the Austrian Grand Prix, the eleventh round of the 2022 season.
For this appointment, Pirelli has chosen the following compounds:
- C3 (the hard one, white in color)
- C4 (middle, yellow)
- C5 (the soft one, red in color)
It is, therefore, the least conservative option possible, since they are the three softest tire compounds in the 2022 range manufactured by the Italian company, the sole supplier of Formula 1.
Pirelli tires for the 2022 F1 Austrian GP
- The Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria is a short and fast roller coaster, with only ten corners but continuous ups and downs. Pirelli approaches it with the three softest tires in the range: the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft.
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Last year, two consecutive races were held at the Red Bull Ring. This weekend the same tire selection has been chosen as in the second race of 2021, an alternative intended to increase the spectacle of the fastest sport in the world, offering more degradation and more opportunities for overtaking.
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On that occasion, the winning strategy consisted of two stops : an initial stint on the medium, followed by two on the hard tyres. Don’t forget that the compounds and structures of the wheels are different this year.
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Austria will also host the second sprint format weekend of the season, following the first race at Imola. According to the regulations, instead of having 13 sets of tires as in a normal weekend, the drivers will have 12, divided as follows: two hard, four medium and six soft.
- To ensure that rain can be raced, which would not be an unwelcome guest on the Styrian hills, drivers will also receive up to six sets of intermediate tires (green in colour) and three sets of extreme wet tires (blue in colour). .
- Alpine, McLaren, Red Bull and Williams will stay on the circuit after the grand prix, following Pirelli’s testing program for next season’s tire development. McLaren and Williams will complete two days, while Red Bull and Williams will alternate, each completing one day.
Pirelli boss Mario Isola shared his impressions on the tire choice: “The Red Bull Ring tarmac offers quite low grip on a low intensity circuit, which allows us to run the softest tires in the range.”
“This is a bonus for the show, at a venue that has often provided exciting racing in the past, thanks to a very tight and fast lap with a number of very short corners.
“Traction, and especially braking, are crucial here, with the risk of locking the wheels especially in some difficult braking points going downhill. Maintaining the performance of the rear tires throughout the lap is also crucial to ensure excellent traction. Our naming of compounds makes different strategies possible.”
Minimum dry tire pressures at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP
- Front: 24.0 psi
- Rear: 20.0 psi
Maximum tire camber at the 2022 F1 Austrian GP
- Front: -3.25°
- Rear: -1.75°
