Softer tyres will boost performance in Hungary – Pirelli

Pirelli say the softer tire compounds being used for this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix will bring “even more performance” to the cars.

Lap times have fallen at several races this year due in part to Pirelli’s softer tires. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap of the current configuration of Silverstone during qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

Pirelli originally allocated the hard and medium tire for the Hungarian Grand Prix. However due to the changes in construction it has since made, F1’s official tire supplier is now providing the soft compound instead of the hard.

“Hungary marks the first event for our latest specification P Zero tires, which consist of the 2012 construction matched to the 2013 compounds,” said motorsport director Paul Hembery.

“These tires were tried out by the teams at Silverstone during the young driver test, who benefitted from the opportunity to adapt the set-up of their cars to best suit the new tires.”

Hembery added the more aggressive choice of compounds should make passing easier at a track where it has been difficult in the past: “Overtaking at this circuit is never an easy task, so the teams will be looking to use strategy to maximize their opportunities to gain track position,” he said.

“The selection of medium and soft tires should provide plenty of chances to help them do that, based on the data that all the teams gain with different fuel loads in free practice.”