Pirelli nominates tyres for Baku’s first F1 race

2016 F1 season

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Pirelli has nominated the super-soft, soft and medium compound tyres for F1’s first race on the Baku City Circuit.

The soft and medium tyres will be the mandatory choices for the race, meaning drivers will have to have both sets available and must use at least one of them.

F1’s official tyre supplier has assigned the super-soft tyre compound for qualifying. The ultra-soft and hard tyres will not be used.

The European Grand Prix will take place on a temporary street course in Azerbaijan’s capital. Under the 2016 regulations tyre choices for fly-away races such as this one must be nominated 14 weeks in advance compared to eight weeks for European rounds.

2016 tyre nominations so far

Circuit2016 Q32016 Option2016 Prime2015 Option2015 Prime
MelbourneSuper-softSoftMediumSoftMedium
BahrainSuper-softSoftMediumSoftMedium
ShanghaiSuper-softSoftMediumSoftMedium
SochiSuper-softSoftMediumSuper-softSoft
CatalunyaTBATBATBAMediumHard
Monte-CarloTBATBATBASuper-softSoft
MontrealUltra-softSuper-softSoftSuper-softSoft
BakuSuper-softSoftMediumNo raceNo race

2016 F1 season

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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9 comments on “Pirelli nominates tyres for Baku’s first F1 race”

  1. So even Pirelli consider the European Grand Prix a non-European race? Interesting.

  2. I thought the Ultra Soft was for street tracks but they will not use it here.

    1. It depends on the track, not all street tracks have the same properties, just as permanent tracks don’t, so if it’s unsuitable then they cannot use it really.

      However it does seem pointless if they have built a tyre which will only be used for one round a year.

  3. I thought the cars that were in Q3 weren’t allowed to be altered before the start of the race? Here we have Super Soft tyres required for Q3, so doesn’t that mean those cars have to start the race with those same tyres on? I guess those in Q3 would have started with a soft tyre anyway, so I guess it doesn’t change a lot, except the front ten cars would all have to pit early, whereas the rest of the field have a choice as to which tyre to start with.

    1. RaceProUK (@)
      3rd March 2016, 16:33

      That problem already exists, and has done since the whole ‘start on Q2 tyres’ rule was brought in; it’s just now it’ll actually be noticeable. But then again, changing tyres isn’t considered ‘modifying the car’, so it’s OK :)

  4. Ultra-soft should be used instead of Medium. I was expecting ultra-soft/supersoft/soft combination.

    1. Yup, but I think it will be okay. They didn’t went full retard like they did on the first race at COTA.

  5. I still dont get the conservative choices, I want a race with Ultra Soft, Soft, Hard to choose from!

  6. Sorry but I just can’t muster any interest in a choice between a bad tyre, a terrible tyre, a super terrible tyre or an ultra terrible tyre. Call me when they introduce a good tyre, or even an okay tyre.

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