Pirelli Predict Nerve-Wracking 2022 F1 Season Opener Amidst New 18-Inch Tires

The exclusive F1 tire manufacturer, Pirelli, has dropped a bomb as they predicted a daunting season opener in Bahrain. The tire company couldn’t say much about the unpredictability of the tires to be used in the race. F1 is to have its first race in Bahrain on March 20.

The season opens with free practice on Friday, March 18. There will be three tire choices in the race. C-1 hard, C-2 medium, and C-3 soft. As the tire size has increased from last year, choosing the right tire strategy might just be a bit more tricky this season.

Talking about this, Mario Isola Pirelli’s head of F1 conveyed, “We have opted for the hardest tires in the range for this first Grand Prix due to the design of the track, the characteristics of the asphalt, and the high temperatures. Also because the compounds are different from those of previous years.”

Read More: “Can I Keep a 7-Time World Champion Behind Me?”- Lando Norris Explains the Massive Pressure of Challenging Lewis Hamilton in F1

“We know from the past that track temperatures can play a big role in Bahrain in affecting tire degradation, and that’s something we’ve also noticed in testing. The teams had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new 18-inch tires for 2022, after spending a total of six days of testing with all compounds, although not always in representative conditions.”, the Pirelli top executive further asserted.

Why tires are so important in an F1 race?

The uncertainty of tires this season is due to their change in size. Even though the tires are well tested, there remains a possibility of wear and tear due to the extremely abrasive nature of the tarmac in Bahrain. The Bahrain circuit is so abrasive that it has five out of five in Pirelli’s marker. Moreover, the track temperature also plays a big part. Although the tire company said that the new tires are designed to reduce overheating.

The strategy regarding tire change is very important. It can affect the whole championship standing, in fact, as we saw last year. A bad tire strategy affected Lewis at Abu Dhabi last year, as he saw Max Verstappen overtake him with the fresher tire in the final lap.

Watch This Story: Epic Lewis Hamilton Card Breaks All Time Record

As things stand, teams are pretty caught up to discuss the tire strategy for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix. Will it be a two-stop race? Or just one stop? Only time will tell.