Pirelli has confirmed its tyre compound choices for the opening four Grands Prix of the 2019 Formula 1 season.
The company, which has been the sport’s sole supplier since 2011, has adopted a tweaked approach for next season, simplifying its compound names and colours.
Pirelli will make a Soft (red sidewall), Medium (yellow sidewall) and Hard (white sidewall) available at each Grand Prix, chosen from a reduced range of five options.
They are C1 (the hardest) to C5 (the softest), with C1 softer than the 2018-spec Hard tyre, C2 slightly softer than the 2018-spec Medium, and C4 and C5 comparable with the old Ultrasoft and Hypersoft compound.
C3 is the same as the 2018-spec Soft tyre.
For Australia, China and Azerbaijan Pirelli has nominated the C2, C3 and C4, while C1, C2 and C3 will be used in Bahrain.
As per 2018, each driver will receive 13 sets of tyres for a Grand Prix weekend, and can choose from the three nominated compounds for 10 of those sets.
Under the regulations one set of Soft tyres must be set aside for use only in Q3, while either the Medium or Hard must be run for one stint of the Grand Prix, assuming dry conditions prevail.
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