F1 | Sprint Race, Pirelli explains the use of tires during the weekends

Following the communication from Formula 1 and FIA on Sprint Qualifying, Pirelli adds some details on the tire sets. For the three Grands Prix that this year will host a Sprint Qualifying, the 100 kilometer race that will take place on Saturday and which should take place at Silverstone, Imola and another non-European track, the tire allocation includes:

12 sets of slick tires per driver instead of the 13 expected for the other Grands Prix and will be divided as follows: six sets of soft, four of medium and two of hard. Four sets of intermediates and three of full wet will also be assigned, as for all the Grand Prix of the year, but with the possibility for each driver to have 1 extra set of intermediates if FP1, FP2 or the qualifying session are run in wet conditions. A further additional set of intermediates is also provided if the Sprint Qualifying is run in wet conditions.

As regards the use of tires during the race weekend, the following regulation is being defined and could undergo further changes:

Free tests - For FP1, which will take place on Friday morning and lasts 60 minutes, each driver will have to use two sets of free choice and return one to Pirelli at the end of the session. In FP2, scheduled for Saturday and always 60 minutes long, the drivers will have free choice on the number of sets to use.

Qualifications – Only soft compound tires must be used up to a maximum of five sets, of which one to be used only in Q3. The drivers will not be obliged to start Sunday's Grand Prix with the tires with which they passed Q2 but will have free choice at the start.

Sprint Qualifying – Each driver will be able to freely choose the tires to use by returning to Pirelli the set that has completed the greatest number of laps at the end of the sprint race. Unlike the Grand Prix on Sunday, there will be no mandatory pit stops for the Sprint Qualifying. If the fast race is to be run in wet conditions, the drivers will have to return a set of full wet or intermediate tires and Pirelli will provide them with an extra set of intermediates.

Grand Prix - After starting the race with tires of free choice, therefore without the constraint of starting with those used to pass Q2, each driver will be able to choose the strategy he prefers, without prejudice to the obligation to make at least one pit stop and to use at least two different compounds. Furthermore, as for all Grands Prix, the two-set rule indicated by Pirelli and which each driver must have available for the Grand Prix remains valid.