Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has compared Qatar’s Losail Circuit to Silverstone and Mugello, explaining its choice to bring the hardest compound tyres.
The 16-turn Losail Circuit, which has been a long-term host of a round of the MotoGP championship, will welcome Formula 1 for the first time this weekend.
Pirelli has opted to nominate the C1, C2 and C3 compounds for use at the venue.
Losail has not been resurfaced since its creation in 2004 and as a consequence offers high grip, while the increasingly abrasive surface accentuates wear and degradation.
The majority of the corners are expected to be medium- and high-speed, in particular the triple-apex right-hander from Turn 12 to 14, which will stress the left-front tyre.
Pirelli also expects a high level of track evolution through the weekend owing to the likelihood of the surface being dusty/sandy to begin with, accentuated by the lack of support categories.
“Coming to a new circuit isn’t a novel experience for us though, and we rely on simulation data as well as track information that we collect in advance to select the nomination that will be used,” said Pirelli chief Mario Isola.
“We haven’t had the chance to measure the roughness of the asphalt with our instruments but the promoter provided us with very useful information on the asphalt characteristics.
“From what we can see, the hardest tyres in the range will be well-suited to Losail, due to the quite abrasive asphalt and the very demanding corners.
“But as we’ve never actually raced there before, we’ll only get a true picture of how the tyres really work on this circuit once we arrive.”
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