Pirelli: Tire life in Bahrain depends on temperature

      The Bahrain circuit is well known to the Pirelli teams and engineers, but the weather will be the main variable of the upcoming weekend.

      As in Suzuka, the teams will receive the tires of the three toughest compounds – C1 as Hard, C2 as Medium and C3 as Soft, but the features of the track and the high temperature of the air and asphalt will require a different approach than last week in Japan.

      The teams have a lot of information about the behavior of the cars in Bahrain, and winter tests have recently been conducted here, so they can immediately start setting up and determining the best qualifying and race strategy.

      Compared to the tests, Pirelli engineers slightly changed the minimum tire pressure required for the teams on both axles, increasing it by one step compared to the tests – to 23 psi in the front wheels, and by two steps – to 21 psi in the rear.

      The Bahrain track has been used for many years, but the asphalt here is still abrasive, with heavy load on the tires in the braking and acceleration zones. The coating provides good grip, but sand from the desert can negatively affect the situation.

      The tire life in Bahrain depends on the temperature. Wear and granulation are not a limiting factor here, but the thermal degradation of the leading tires has a very serious effect – the ability to control this factor is the key to success in Bahrain.

      There are two types of thermal degradation. The first has a superficial effect and can be offset by a change in piloting style or weather conditions. The second, chemical degradation, when chemical bonds are disrupted due to overheating, is irreversible.