Breaking news

Formula 1

Pirelli introduces two new F1 tyre compounds for 2018

Pirelli will expand its dry weather Formula 1 tyre range to seven compounds for 2018 with the introduction of the superhard and the hypersoft.

Lawrence Barretto

Edited: Nov 23, 2017, 1:25 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Pirelli tyres with pink markings in support of raising awareness of breast cancer

The Italian supplier says the compounds in the 2018 "rainbow" range with be "considerably softer" compared to 2017.

The first new tyre will be the orange superhard, slotting in as the hardest of the range.

It will be what Pirelli describes as its "insurance policy" given the other compounds have gone softer for next season.

The other new entry is the hypersoft, which will be pink and the softest of the range, with the name chosen via a fan poll on social media.

It received 62 percent of the vote, beating off the two other proposed options - extremesoft and megasoft.

"This is the softest compound we've made so far in F1," said Pirelli racing manager Mario Isola. "We decided not only to move all the range one step softer, but to introduce one more level of softer compound, that is the pink hypersoft.

"This is obviously a compound that we developed for very low severity circuits. We realised that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative.

"The tyres we have created for 2018 addresses this, in line with the objective of having around two pitstops at most races.

"However, the fundamental design concept of the tyres hasn't changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint."

The hard tyre will take on a 'ice blue' colour next year, with the white medium, yellow soft, red supersoft and purple ultrasoft retaining their colours.

The intermediate and full wet will remain green and blue respectively.

The teams will try out the new tyres for the first time next week during the two-day Post-Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tyre test at Yas Marina.

2018 Pirelli tyres

2018 Pirelli tyres

Photo by: Pirelli

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Stroll says new Williams teammate must be a "team player"

Next article Sirotkin feels Williams F1 test could be biggest of his career

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Lawrence Barretto



Sirotkin, Stroll to have two race engineers each

Formula 1

Formula 1

Sirotkin, Stroll to have two race engineers each



Hamilton "sacrifice" saved Mercedes an hour of testing

Formula 1

Formula 1

Hamilton "sacrifice" saved Mercedes an hour of testing



Kubica regrets being "too honest" about driving limitations

Formula 1

Formula 1

Kubica regrets being "too honest" about driving limitations

Latest news



Ferrari says abolishing BoP should be “final goal” of 2030 WEC Hypercar regulations

WEC

WEC WEC

Bahrain

11 min

Ferrari says abolishing BoP should be “final goal” of 2030 WEC Hypercar regulations



"FIA Rating pushes drivers like me into retirement" - Sebastien Bourdais

WEC

WEC WEC

Bahrain

1 h

"FIA Rating pushes drivers like me into retirement" - Sebastien Bourdais



Nico Rosberg compares Ferrari’s clashes to his own Mercedes F1 rivalry: “The instructions are not clear enough”

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Mexican GP

1 h

Nico Rosberg compares Ferrari’s clashes to his own Mercedes F1 rivalry: “The instructions are not clear enough”



Carlos Sainz recalls Charles Leclerc battles: “We always managed to find a solution”

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Sao Paulo GP

2 h

Carlos Sainz recalls Charles Leclerc battles: “We always managed to find a solution”

Feature

Discover prime content



How F1’s rules got to be so complex

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How F1’s rules got to be so complex



A water park, “not a rock star” and Toto Wolff’s words – Is Kimi Antonelli really a different F1 champion?

Formula 1

By Ronald Vording

A water park, “not a rock star” and Toto Wolff’s words – Is Kimi Antonelli really a different F1 champion?



Why Ferrari must act now after its own 'Papaya Rules' moment

Formula 1

Mexican GP

By Filip Cleeren

Why Ferrari must act now after its own 'Papaya Rules' moment



Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s

Formula 1

By Kevin Turner

Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe