Pirelli chose the tires for the Austin GP ahead of debut sprint race

Formula 1 is returning to the US for the Austin Grand Prix in Texas this weekend. Pirelli will use the C2 to C4 compounds, hoping they will be the best choice for the surface at the “Circuit of the Americas”.

Last year, the teams and drivers opted for the medium and hard tires for the race, with winner Max Verstappen recording the first set of laps on the mediums, the second on the hard and the last on the medium.

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For the first time in Austin, there will be a sprint race, which means just one hour of free practice on Friday, and on Saturday the sprint will be preceded by qualifying for it.

“Circuit of the Americas” is a track with medium to high aerodynamic compression, but there is not a single corner that puts a particularly serious load on the tires – explained Pirelli’s head of motorsport, Mario Isola. – Good traction in slow corners is very important. Last year, the track was repaved, but in certain sections the track remains uneven, which causes the tires to slip and therefore overheat. That’s why the typical tire degradation here is thermal.”