Pirelli abandons hard tyre compound for rest of 2017

Pirelli has abandoned the hard tyre for the rest of the 2017 F1 season after confirming that it won't be used in Japan.

Pirelli tyres at the Red Bull Racing garage

Instead, the medium, soft and supersoft compounds will be taken to Suzuka.

It will also not be used in Malaysia and Brazil, the two remaining venues where it was in play in 2017.

At the Spanish GP it became clear that the teams were not happy with the hard, as they struggled to make it work properly.

Pirelli, who had to develop the hard based on predictions of high loadings under the new rules, subsequently agreed to review its use for the rest of the season.

In Barcelona, its F1 boss Mario Isola told Motorsport.com that it was likely that the hard would only be used at Suzuka, and not at the other three venues where it previously featured the hard – Silverstone, Sepang and Interlagos.

Last year's change of track surface in the second of those events already made the hard unnecessary.

Pirelli has already confirmed that it won't be used at the British GP, and although the official nominations have yet to be announced for Malaysia and Brazil, it won't be used at either.

"I can confirm, no hards for the rest of the season," a Pirelli spokesman told Motorsport.com.

Confirmation that the hard has been dropped by Suzuka after all is further that Pirelli has become increasingly confident that the supersoft – which by default is used when the hard is not – can deal with this year's increased loads even at the more demanding venues.