Pirelli C6 tires make their debut in Imola

      For the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Pirelli tire manufacturers have prepared the tires of three of the softest compounds, and the new C6 tires will debut in Imola this weekend.

      It is clear that it will be used as a Soft; C5 will be assigned the role of Medium, and C4 will be used as a hard rubber. The teams will have to work with C6 for the first time, although they had such tires at their disposal during the pre-season tests in Bahrain, but then no one drove them.

      This softest compound is designed for racing where the load on the tires is minimal, and in the C6 qualifying mode, in theory, it can provide more effective grip, especially since the abrasiveness of the asphalt surface in Imola is below average.

      The softest tyres are unlikely to be suitable for long laps, but the data obtained this weekend, as well as during the Monaco and Canadian Grand Prix, where the C6 will also be used, will allow Pirelli engineers to assess the prospects for using this compound in the second half of the season.

      Last year, the optimal tactic at Imola was a single pit stop. At that time, 15 racers started on Medium tires, three on Hard tires and two on Soft tires (C4, C3 and C5, respectively). But those who started on the softest rubber had to visit the pits twice.

      The hard tires performed best during the race, working very stably, and at the same time they were least susceptible to degradation, although the asphalt temperatures exceeded 50 degrees. This time it will be interesting to see how the tires of the softer compounds behave.

      There is only one DRS zone on the classic Imola circuit, and overtaking opportunities are very limited on other lap sections, so a good starting position is one of the key success factors. In addition, the time lost in the pit lane is the highest among all the championship circuits. This is also why everyone tries to limit themselves to a single stop in the boxes.

      Working with rubber on this track is influenced by the fact that there are many braking points in Imola, followed by dynamic acceleration, but despite this, the tires there experience quite moderate temperature loads. However, the mechanical loads are quite high, not only on the tires, but also on the suspension, as the riders have to actively attack the curbs.