Formula 1 teams have loaded up on Hypersoft tyres for next weekend’s concluding round of the 2018 season in Abu Dhabi.
Pirelli has nominated the three softest compounds from its range – the Hypersoft (pink), Ultrasoft (purple) and Supersoft (red) – in order to cope with the demands of the Yas Marina Circuit.
As per usual Pirelli mandates one set of each compound for the drivers, leaving them free choice for 10 of the 13 sets that they are allocated in order to get through the weekend’s action.
All of the front-runners will have eight sets of Hypersoft tyres available, with only minor variations between the Ultrasoft and Supersoft allocation.
Williams and Toro Rosso have adopted the most aggressive approach – choosing 10 sets of the pink-ringed rubber – while Renault, with seven, are at the other end of the scale.
Tyre degradation is not usually a major concern at the Yas Marina Circuit, with the race taking place at twilight, but the Hypersoft compound has shown high degradation at several events this year.
Under Formula 1 regulations one set of the Hypersofts must be cast aside for use only in Q3, while either the Ultrasofts or Supersofts must be run for one stint of the 55-lap Grand Prix.
