FORMULA 2

Feature Race, the winner: Following the downpour that also affected Formula 1 qualifying, all the drivers started on wet tyres before moving onto slicks (with medium and supersoft nominated) as the track dried out. The timing of this move was critical to the final race outcome. McLaren junior driver Lando Norris was initially quickest in the wet conditions for Carlin – sometimes more than three seconds per lap faster than his rivals – while fellow McLaren junior Nyck de Vries (Prema) was quickest on slick tyres to take the win.

Nyck de Vries: “We expected the track to dry up towards the end, so we didn’t put everything on too much of a wet set-up. We knew things would be tough at the start and I was really struggling to hold on. But then the track started to dry out, and that was the moment we needed to go and change our tyres. So the timing was good, and the others had anticipated wetter conditions than us, which worked to our advantage.”

Feature Race, alternative strategy: With all the drivers starting on wet tyres then moving on to the medium compound, there was no particular alternative strategy. However, Charouz driver and Ferrari junior Antonio Fuoco stopped later than his direct rivals in a bid to maintain track position: a tactic that ultimately resulted in his fifth podium of the season.

Sprint Race, the winner: Campos driver Luca Ghiotto made a brilliant start from the second row to take the lead on lap one, with all the drivers using the medium tyres from start to finish of the 28-lap race. However, he was overhauled by DAMS driver Alexander Albon with four laps to go, who had kept his tyres in optimal condition to make a move at the end.

GP3

Feature Race, the winner: The track had dried up enough for slicks in Saturday’s 22-lap GP3 race, with all the drivers using the nominated soft tyre from start to finish. Force India junior Nikita Mazepin took the lead for ART Grand Prix from second on the grid and won by more than 10 seconds, despite having to control some tyre degradation.

Sprint Race, the winner: MP Motorsport driver Dorian Boccolacci won the sprint race from reverse pole in high temperatures. After setting a strong pace in the early stages of the race, he controlled his rhythm to manage his tyres to the end of the race, claiming victory by just over two seconds.

PIRELLI QUOTE

Pirelli’s head of car racing Mario Isola: “In the Formula 2 feature race, judging the crossover point between wets and slicks was absolutely critical, with the drivers facing the challenge of a drying track. For the first time we brought the supersoft to Hungary in Formula 2, and although the weather circumstances meant it wasn’t used in the races, it contributed to a very close and exciting qualifying session on Saturday. In GP3, there was some degree of tyre degradation that the drivers had to manage, but for those who got it right, the rewards were big.”

NEXT RACESFormula 2 and GP3 resumes after the traditional summer break, at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from August 24-26.

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For further information about Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on +44 (0)7765 896 930 or anthony.peacock.ex@pirelli.com

For more information on the FIA Formula 2 Championship and GP3 Series, please visit: www.fiaformula2.com and www.gp3series.com

The challenge

• The Hungaroring is tight and twisting in nature with a low average speed. However, the many corners and lack of long straights mean that the tyres are being constantly worked during a lap with traction, braking and lateral forces.

• Teams run the cars with high downforce levels, but the relatively low cornering speeds mean there is more reliance on the mechanical grip from the tyres.

• Overtaking can be difficult, so getting the most out of the tyres in qualifying is important, while good strategy calls can be crucial in the races.

• Physically it’s a tough race: temperatures are often very high and there’s little airflow around the car, with the drivers working hard.

The tyres and strategy

• The P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft tyres have been nominated for F2: a change from last year when the medium and soft tyres were used. This combination was used earlier this season in both Baku and Le Castellet.

• In F2, each driver has five sets of slick tyres to use over the weekend: three medium and two supersoft. They also have three sets of wet-weather tyres. During race one, where there is a mandatory pit stop, both compounds have to be used unless it is declared a wet race. Pit stops are optional in race two.

• Just one tyre is nominated for each GP3 round: at the Hungaroring it’s the soft. This is one step softer than in 2017, when the medium was used. Drivers get three new sets of dry tyres plus one carry-over set of hard tyres from the Silverstone round, which must be returned in free practice. There are two sets of wet-weather tyres as well (although it rarely rains at this time of year near Budapest).

What happened last year?Oliver Rowland won the F2 feature race, fending off Artem Markelov after both started on the soft tyre and switched to the medium. After a technical infringement deprived him of pole position, Charles Leclerc (now racing for Sauber in F1) used the alternative strategy to race from the back of the grid to fourth. Nobuharu Matsushita won the sprint race on the medium tyre. Jack Aitken and Giuliano Alesi were the winners in GP3.

Quote

Mario Isola, Pirelli head of car racing: “The tyre nomination in F2 this weekend is a step softer than last year for the softest compound, whereas we maintain the same nomination for the harder compound. In GP3, the single-compound is softer. This should add to the challenge of tyre management at a circuit whose layout is always quite demanding for tyres, as the lack of a long straight means that they don’t really get a chance to cool down. In Formula 2, we have a ‘gap’ in the nominations – going straight from medium to supersoft – as we’ve seen a couple of times already this year: a choice that we have also made on occasions in Formula 1. This should hopefully lead to an interesting range of strategic choices: an important element at the Hungaroring, as it’s a circuit that is often quite hard to overtake on.”

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For further information about Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on +44 (0)7765 896 930 or anthony.peacock.ex@pirelli.com

For more information on the FIA Formula 2 Championship and GP3 Series, please visit: www.fiaformula2.com and www.gp3series.com

FORMULA 2

Feature Race, the winner: Alex Albon started from second place on the soft tyre before pitting to change to the hard compound, where he was able to pass George Russell (who was on the same strategy but suffered a slow pit-stop). Albon was then able to manage his tyres and his advantage over Russell for the rest of the race. The soft-hard strategy was adopted by nearly all the cars on the grid.

Alex Albon: “I think George and I were the only guys in free practice to do a long run and already by then, I knew that the tyres were going to be quite good. I heard other people talking about high degradation, but I think I knew it wouldn’t be that bad. So with that information, I drove – pushing, but not killing the tyres, so I could relax.”

Feature Race, alternative strategy: Tadasuke Makino (Russian Time) and Ralph Boschung (MP Motorsport) were the only two drivers to start the race on the hard tyres. They were both able to use the grip from their fresher, faster tyres at the end of the race to overtake others, with Boschung finishing up ninth.

Sprint Race, the winner: Maximilian Gunther won by just half a second over Russell, who worked his way up from seventh on the grid. With all drivers on the hard tyre and no pit stops, Gunther controlled the lead well to take his maiden win.

GP3

Feature Race, the winner: Anthoine Hubert won from pole position, managing his tyres well to pull away from ART Grand Prix team-mates Nikita Mazepin and Callum Ilott late in the race. Ilott had the pace to set the fastest lap on lap 15 of 20 to gain two bonus points, but conceded the championship lead back to Hubert.

Sprint Race, the winner: Pedro Piquet, son of three-time Formula 1 champion Nelson, claimed his first victory in GP3. He got a quicker start than Trident team-mate Giuliano Alesi to take the lead and won by 1.4 seconds, after preserving his tyre performance well.

PIRELLI QUOTE

Pirelli’s head of car racing Mario Isola: “With the unusual heat and expected high speeds of Silverstone, coupled with a new asphalt surface, there were some very big demands placed on the tyres this weekend. Despite this, they performed exactly as expected. The difference in performance and degradation between the soft and the hard tyres in Formula 2, led most drivers towards the same strategy. Together with the appropriate tyre management, this resulted in another exciting weekend.”

NEXT RACES Formula 2 and GP3 will next be in action at the Hungaroring near Budapest from July 27-29.

The challenge

• With the focus on long straights and slow corners, the forces from braking and acceleration are more significant than the lateral demands at the Red Bull Ring.

• Two consecutive corners in the middle sector – the only two left-handers on the circuit – provide the biggest lateral demands. The loaded tyres come into these corners cold, as otherwise they are not particularly stressed around the lap.

• The track’s location in the Styrian mountains means that the weather can be variable, with rain showers a common feature.

The tyres and strategy

• The P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres have been nominated for Formula 2: the two softest tyres in the range. This combination was previously nominated earlier this year in Monaco.

• In Formula 2, each driver has five sets of slick tyres to use over the weekend: three soft and two supersoft. They also have three sets of wet-weather tyres. During race one, where there is a mandatory pit stop, both compounds have to be used unless it is declared a wet race. Pit stops are optional in race two.

• Just one tyre is nominated for each GP3 round: in Austria it’s the soft. Drivers get three new sets of dry tyres plus one carry-over set of mediums from the Paul Ricard round, which must be returned after free practice. There are two sets of wet-weather tyres as well.

Quote

Mario Isola, Pirelli head of car racing: “There aren’t many corners at the Red Bull Ring and it’s a short lap – but this means that everything has to be exactly right over the course of the lap, the margins are very small, and that traffic can be an issue. The track surface is reasonably new and smooth, so not a lot of energy is taken out of the tyres. This enables us to nominate the softest compounds in the range, but drivers still have to take care not to over-drive them.”

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For further information about Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on +44 (0)7765 896 930 or anthony.peacock.ex@pirelli.com

For more information on the FIA Formula 2 Championship and GP3 Series, please visit: www.fiaformula2.com and www.gp3series.com

Artem Markelov: “I had a really good start and tried to get a gap to the guys behind but I was also thinking of tyre degradation, so I was trying to look after them and calm down. After my stop, I was really struggling on my first two laps with the wheels locking, but I still managed to have a gap to Charles, so I wasn’t worried.”

Feature Race, alternative strategy: Newly-crowned champion Leclerc ran the opposite strategy: starting on soft to lead for a large part of the race after the supersoft starters pitted. He then switched to supersoft on lap 23, but experienced tyre degradation at the finish – obeying team orders to let his team mate Fuoco past him.

Sprint Race, the winner: Leclerc added to his remarkable season by sealing a seventh win this year on the final lap, when he passed ART’s Alexander Albon, who had led from the beginning. The sprint race was held in warm temperatures, and was all about preserving the soft tyre for the duration of the 22-lap encounter, with no mandatory pit stops.

GP3

Feature Race, the winner: Arden’s Niko Kari triumphed in the Feature Race, which was disrupted by two Virtual Safety Cars, managing his soft tyres perfectly at every re-start. The Finn built his victory on a bold overtaking move at the first corner and was never headed – despite an intense battle behind him.

Sprint Race, the winner: Another debut win was taken, this time by Trident’s Dorian Boccolacci. His team mate Ryan Tveter, who started from reverse pole, finished second after being overtaken on lap three.

PIRELLI QUOTE

Pirelli’s head of car racing Mario Isola: “Tyre strategy was at the centre of the Formula 2 feature race, which was held in the evening under the lights. The GP3 race was a completely different challenge, all about making the soft tyres last in the heat of the day. It's been another thrilling season in which we’ve seen some very exciting races and talented drivers in both championships. We've also been privileged to enjoy another perfect collaboration with the series promoters, who once more have done a brilliant job this year.”

NEXT RACES Formula 2 will resume at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix Prix from April 7-8, with GP3 to restart at the Spanish Grand Prix from May 12-13 – although there is a busy schedule of testing planned before then: including sessions at Abu Dhabi this week.

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For further information please contact: Anthony Peacock • +44 7765 896 930 • anthony@mediaticaworld.com

Pirelli has nominated the P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres for use in F2, with the soft compound to be made available for GP3. On Sunday night, at the gala awards night for both championships, Pirelli will be presenting prizes to the top GP3 driver, as well as the best rookie in Formula 2 – as voted for by an international panel of journalists.

The challenge for the tyres:

The Yas Marina circuit features three distinct sectors. Sector one is made up of the fastest and longest corners which place high lateral forces on the tyres. The middle sector consists mostly of two long straights, while the final third of the lap is characterised by slower, twisting corners.

With a smooth track surface, wear is fairly low, but good traction is crucial to carrying speed onto the long straights and out of the slow corners. Drivers need to avoid wheelspin in order to preserve the rear tyres.

Setup is a compromise, but medium downforce is favoured in order to ensure good speed down the straights. This places the emphasis on mechanical grip from the tyres for carrying speed around the circuit’s 21 corners.

Pirelli’s head of car racing says:

Mario Isola: “Just as in Formula 1, Abu Dhabi provides a spectacular finale to another great season in both Formula 2 and GP3. The Yas Marina circuit provides an all-round challenge for the drivers and also the tyres, with a combination of high-speed short straights and more technical sections. Unlike Formula 1, the races in Formula 2 and GP3 will take place in the day, with high track temperatures. These varied demands mean drivers will need to consider how best to use their tyres during the course of a race: an important skill for them to learn on the way to F1.”

The race and the rules: Formula 2 Every car will have five sets of dry tyres and three sets of wet weather tyres available for the Formula 2 race weekend. The five sets of dry tyres comprise three sets of the soft compound and two sets of the supersoft compound.

The drivers can use their tyre allocation in any way they like, but at least one set of each compound must be used in the feature race (unless it is a wet race). One set of the harder compound must be returned after free practice.

Qualifying takes place at 19:00 on Friday, after practice at 11:30. The feature race on Saturday at 18:40 lasts 31 laps and each driver must complete one compulsory pit stop. This cannot take place within the first six laps. Unlike Formula 1, the drivers do not have to start the race using the tyres they qualified on.

The grid for the sprint race on Sunday at 14:10 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed. It is run over 22 laps, with no compulsory pit stops.

GP3 Every car will have three sets of dry tyres and two sets of wet weather tyres available for the GP3 race weekend. Only one compound is nominated: soft for Abu Dhabi. The drivers can use the tyre allocation in any way they like.

Drivers are also allowed to carry over one additional tyre set from the previous round for use in free practice only, but this will not be the case in Abu Dhabi, for logistical reasons. As a result, the GP3 teams will have four new sets of soft tyres at the start of the weekend.

Qualifying takes place at 15:10 on Saturday after a single free practice session on Friday at 10:15. Race 1 starts at 12:20 on Saturday and lasts for 18 laps, followed by Race Two at 18:40 on Sunday (lasting 31 laps). The grid for Race 2 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed.

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For further information please contact:

Anthony Peacock • +44 7765 896 930 • anthony@mediaticaworld.com F2 drivers will have P Zero Yellow soft and Red supersoft tyres available in Abu Dhabi P Zero Yellow soft tyres will be used in GP3

At its home rounds, Pirelli will supply the P Zero White medium tyre and P Zero Yellow soft tyre for Formula 2, with the soft nominated as the sole compound for GP3.

Pirelli will also host the launch of the new for 2018 Formula 2 car, which will take place in the Formula 1 paddock at Monza at 13:15 on Thursday.

Pirelli’s head of car racing says:

Mario Isola: “The Monza weekend is one we always look forward to at Pirelli, and that includes the Formula 2 and GP3 races, which are often action-packed thanks to the good overtaking opportunities the circuit provides. With equal opportunities from the cars, driving talent comes to the forefront. As track position can be less important than at other circuits, there will be good strategic opportunities for the F2 teams to take advantage of in the feature race. In GP3, we often see that race pace – and the ability to preserve the performance of the tyres – is more important to a strong result than qualifying speed. Another event we’re looking forward to is the launch of the new Formula 2 car for 2018 and beyond: we’re privileged to host this important event in our Formula 1 fitting area on Thursday.”

The challenge for the tyres:

Monza’s long straights make it the fastest circuit on the calendar, and teams set the cars up with low-downforce configurations in order to maximise top speeds. This means that through the corners, the drivers rely more on the mechanical grip from the tyres than the aerodynamic grip.

The long straights are punctuated by chicanes, where heavy braking and traction mean longitudinal forces are applied to the tyres. There are also sustained lateral forces through the long Curva Grande and Parabolica corners.

The tyres are also tested by the many impacts every lap with the kerbs around the Monza layout, particularly in the chicanes.

Warm weather is likely over the course of the weekend, especially with Italy emerging from a particularly hot summer. This will increase the demands on the tyres further.

The race and the rules:

Formula 2 Every car will have five sets of dry tyres and three sets of wet weather tyres available for the Formula 2 race weekend. The five sets of dry tyres comprise three sets of the medium compound and two sets of the soft compound.

The drivers can use their tyre allocation in any way they like, but at least one set of each compound must be used in the feature race (unless it is a wet race). One set of the harder compound must be returned after free practice.

Qualifying takes place at 16:20 on Friday, after practice at 11:55. The feature race on Saturday at 16:00 lasts 30 laps and each driver must complete one compulsory pit stop. This cannot take place within the first six laps. Unlike Formula 1, the drivers do not have to start the race using the tyres they qualified on.

The grid for the sprint race on Sunday at 10:15 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed. It is run over 21 laps, with no compulsory pit stops.

GP3 Every car will have three sets of dry tyres and two sets of wet weather tyres available for the GP3 race weekend. Only one compound is nominated: soft for this weekend. The drivers can use the tyre allocation in any way they like.

Drivers are allowed to carry over one tyre set from the previous round for use in free practice only. This will be the medium compound from Spa.

Qualifying takes place at 09:45 on Saturday after a single free practice session on Friday at 18:15. Race 1 starts at 17:50 on Saturday and lasts for 22 laps, followed by Race Two at 09:00 on Sunday (lasting 17 laps). The grid for Race 2 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed.

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Copyright-free videos, photos as well as latest media news are available for editorial use from: www.pirelli.com/f1pressarea (registration required). Follow us on Twitter @pirellisport or Facebook: Pirelli Motorsport. Please also visit the Pirelli website for more information on the company: www.pirelli.com.

For further information please contact: Anthony Peacock • +44 7765 896 930 • anthony@mediaticaworld.com

Feature Race, the winner: Charles Leclerc was a dominant winner on the road, starting on the P Zero Yellow soft tyre before switching to the White medium on lap 10. However, the Prema-run Ferrari junior was subsequently excluded post-race, although he maintains his championship lead. The exclusion handed victory to Artem Markelov (Russian Time).

Feature Race, alternative strategy: Starting ninth on the grid, Markelov deployed the alternative strategy to Leclerc and most of the other frontrunners, beginning the race on the medium tyre and pitting for the soft on lap 15. He rejoined the race in sixth place but used the superior performance of the soft to charge towards the front, making a final corner pass on Oliver Rowland (DAMS), who was excluded for the same infringement as championship rival Leclerc.

Sprint Race, the winner: Sergio Sette Camara shot from third on the grid at the start to win the Sprint Race, with all the drivers on the medium tyre and no mandatory pitstops. After his great start, the Brazilian rookie (MP Motorsport) managed his tyres well for his maiden win. Leclerc finished fifth from 19th on the grid.

GP3

Feature Race, the winner: Mercedes junior George Russell won the opening race after starting on pole position, with all drivers on the medium tyre. His ART team-mate and Honda protege Nirei Fukuzumi slipstreamed into the lead on the first lap, but Russell was able to reply without compromising his tyres. Another ART driver, the Renault Sport Academy’s Jack Aitken, finished second after a late battle with Fukuzumi.

Sprint Race, the winner: Giuliano Alesi scored his third consecutive Sunday win from second on the reversed grid. Russell had another strong drive to finish in second place from eighth on the grid and increase his championship advantage.

Pirelli quote

Pirelli’s head of car racing Mario Isola: “In Formula 2 we saw a dominant performance on the road from Leclerc, who was able to maintain a very high pace despite the need to manage the tyres on a circuit that places many demands on them. Markelov made the alternative strategy work in a thrilling finish against Rowland, and was ultimately rewarded with the win. Tyre management was also a factor in GP3, with Russell preserving his rubber well for two strong results, on the longest circuit on the calendar.”

Next races

Formula 2 and GP3 move straight on to another famous circuit next weekend: the high-speed Monza in Italy.

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For further information please contact: Anthony Peacock • +44 7765 896 930 • anthony@mediaticaworld.com

In F2, the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft tyres have been nominated, while GP3 will use the P Zero White medium compound. This is a different nomination to last year, when GP2 used hard and soft.

Next week, there will be a Formula 1 test at the Hungaroring with a number of drivers from Formula 2 and GP3 getting a chance to drive at the very top level: including Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Gustav Malja.

Pirelli’s head of car racing says:

Mario Isola: “Although the speeds are relatively low, the Hungaroring works the tyres hard throughout the lap. This has been considered with our selections of the medium and soft compounds for Formula 2 and medium for GP3, with the intention that as usual drivers will have to display some degree of tyre management: an important skill for them to learn on the way to Formula 1. It could also help to create close racing at a circuit where overtaking is not easy.”

The challenge for the tyres:

The Hungaroring layout is likened to ‘Monaco without the barriers’, and the average speeds are low. However, with few straights and many corners, the tyres are being constantly worked during the lap with traction, braking and lateral forces.

The lack of straights means teams can run with maximum downforce, but given the relatively low speeds, there is an emphasis on mechanical grip from the tyres rather than aerodynamic grip.

The track was resurfaced last year; with the asphalt one year older the grip characteristics may have changed.

The temperatures are often very high in Hungary in July, so thermal degradation can be a factor, particularly as there is no rest for the tyres, with corner after corner. Rain can be common as well.

The race and the rules: Formula 2 Every car will have five sets of dry tyres and three sets of wet weather tyres available for the Formula 2 race weekend. The five sets of dry tyres comprise three sets of the medium compound and two sets of the soft compound.
The drivers can use their tyre allocation in any way they like, but at least one set of each compound must be used in the feature race (unless it is a wet race). One set of the harder compound must be returned after free practice.

Qualifying takes place at 15:55 on Friday, after practice at 11:55. The feature race on Saturday at 16:00 lasts 37 laps and each driver must complete one compulsory pit stop. This cannot take place within the first six laps. Unlike Formula 1, the drivers do not have to start the race using the tyres they qualified on.

The grid for the sprint race on Sunday at 10:20 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed. It is run over 28 laps, with no compulsory pit stops.

GP3 Every car will have three sets of dry tyres and two sets of wet weather tyres available for the GP3 race weekend. Only one compound is nominated: medium for this weekend. The drivers can use the tyre allocation in any way they like.
Drivers are allowed to carry over one tyre set from the previous round for use in free practice only. This will be the hard tyre from Silverstone.

Qualifying takes place at 09:45 on Saturday morning, after a single free practice session on Friday at 17:50. Race 1 starts at 17:35 on Saturday and lasts for 22 laps, followed by Race Two at 09:10 on Sunday (lasting 17 laps). The grid for Race 2 is determined by the finishing order of the first race, with the top eight positions reversed.

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Copyright-free videos, photos as well as latest media news are available for editorial use from: www.pirelli.com/f1pressarea (registration required). Follow us on Twitter @pirellisport or Facebook: Pirelli Motorsport. Please also visit the Pirelli website for more information on the company: www.pirelli.com. For further information please contact: Anthony Peacock • +44 7765 896 930 • anthony@mediaticaworld.com

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