Pirelli figures the gap between ultra-soft and hyper-soft rubber at seven tenths

From hard compounds to the new hyper-soft tire, Pirelli was able to benefit from extensive feedback from the teams on its 2018 range during the eight days of winter testing in Barcelona.

On the Catalan track, the resurfacing of which offered a new variable to integrate into the use of data for the Italian manufacturer, Pirelli believes it can offer a first image of the differential between its different tires.

“We now have a good idea of ​​the performance differences between compounds at this point in the season, with approximately 0″7 seconds between ultra-soft and hyper-soft, which corresponds to our expectations. » analyzes Mario Isola, head of car racing at Pirelli.

Sebastian Vettel thus set a new track record, with the new hyper-soft compound, in 1'17″182. A time to compare with the best reference on ultra-soft tires, also to Vettel's credit, in 1'18″079.

The multiple weather conditions, with the rain disrupting the first week, also allowed the teams to confront a wide spectrum of situations, which could constitute an advantage in the event of bad weather during the first events.

“The drying conditions offered the teams the opportunity to also evaluate the wet tires and the transition moments between dry and wet track. » underlines Mario Isola.