In Bahrain, the P Zero White medium tyre and P Zero Yellow soft tyre will be raced (the same nomination as Australia and China so far this year). In Spain, the P Zero Silver hard and P Zero Yellow soft will be used: the first time that this combination makes an appearance this year. Finally, the P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft will be seen in Monte Carlo – with the softest tyre in Pirelli’s 2012 range making its debut this season.

The tyre choice for Bahrain takes into account the hot temperatures and medium-grip characteristics of the Middle Eastern circuit. The hard tyre will be seen in Spain to cope with the high lateral loads that the tyres have to deal with at the Circuit de Catalunya, coupled with the soft tyre in order to enhance the opportunities for different strategies. Monte Carlo is the slowest and most twisty circuit of the year, so the supersoft makes its debut to maximise the grip available over the course of this short lap.

The rules stipulate that under normal circumstances each team will receive six sets of the harder compound and five sets of the softer compound for the race weekend. Pirelli will also bring its Cinturato Green intermediate tyre for damp track conditions (four sets per driver) as well as the Cinturato Blue rain tyre (three sets per driver) to each race.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery commented: “Our nominations this year are designed to push the envelope of performance, as can be seen from our latest choices. Only the supersoft tyre is the same compound as last year: the other compounds are softer and therefore faster, designed to encourage closer racing as well as a wider variety of strategies.”