Last stand for 13-inch tires this year. Indeed, this is their final season before the switch to 18-inch.
It’s not because their format will soon no longer be used that Pirelli has abandoned their development.
Since the Italian manufacturer became the sole supplier, their products have always been subject to harsh criticism, and 2020 was no exception.
The aerodynamics of the single-seaters greatly strain the tires. Therefore, they have been revised once again for this last campaign.
So that all teams are ready in time, the tire usage schedule was revealed today for the entire year.
Pirelli and the FIA reserve the right to modify this allocation if conditions require it, up to fifteen days before the start of the event.
For the sake of simplification, slick tires will always have white, yellow, and red logos on the sidewall to signify harder, intermediate, or softer tires, respectively. Behind these colors, there are always five degrees of hardness rated from hardest to softest from C1 to C5.
Behind these colors, there are always five degrees of hardness rated from hardest to softest from C1 to C5.
For 2021, the allocation to the teams hardly changes, which will allow them to use the data carefully recorded from the 2020 races.
However, Pirelli indicates that for two Grand Prix the selection is softer:
« In Azerbaijan, the hard C2 tire was not used in 2020; we are opting for the softest selection: C3, C4, and C5. For Brazil, we provide C2, C3, and C4. Indeed, the C1 chosen last time did not show any specific advantage over the C2 in terms of wear. Thus, this selection should allow for different race strategies »
It is worth noting that for the first race in the Netherlands at the Zandvoort circuit and its famous banking (incline), Pirelli is offering its hardest range, surely to avoid the issues faced by Michelin in 2005 on the banking of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Here is the provisional schedule:
| Grand Prix | C1 (le plus dur) | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 (le plus tendre) | |
| 1 | Bahreïn | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 2 | Emilie-Romagne | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 3 | Portugal | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 4 | Espagne | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 5 | Monaco | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 6 | Azerbaïdjan | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 7 | Canada | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 8 | France | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 9 | Autriche | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 10 | Grande-Bretagne | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 11 | Hongrie | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 12 | Belgique | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 13 | Pays-Bas | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 14 | Italie | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 15 | Russie | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 16 | Singapour | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 17 | Japon | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 18 | Etats-Unis | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 19 | Mexique | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 20 | Brésil | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 21 | Australie | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 22 | Arabie Saoudite | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre | ||
| 23 | Abu Dhabi | Blanc – Dur | Jaune – Medium | Rouge – Tendre |
