Despite the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari having much different characteristics than the Bahrain International Circuit did three weeks ago, Pirelli Motorsport are bringing the same three compounds of tyre to Italy as they did to Bahrain.
Pirelli have gone for the middle of the range tyres for the race at Imola, with the C2 hard compound being joined by the C3 medium and C4 soft compounds.
The previous race at Imola only took place last Autumn as part of Formula 1’s rejigged schedule, but the race remains on the calendar for a second consecutive year, this time being round two and the first European race of 2021.
Mario Isola, the Head of F1 and Car Racing at Pirelli, says he expects teams to go for a one-stop strategy at Imola this year, although there are question marks in place with regards to tyre degradation as the safety car made a big difference to last year’s event.
“After an exciting start in Bahrain, we have exactly the same tyre nomination for Imola: a circuit with very different characteristics, which we are excited to be visiting as title sponsors, helping to demonstrate the prestige of ‘Made in Italy’ to the world,” said Isola.
“Although the last race at Imola took place nearly six months ago, conditions could possibly be different now in April compared to November, and of course the tyre construction has changed.
“As was the case for the last race here, we expect teams to go with a one-stop strategy, also because of the time lost in the pits and relative difficulty in overtaking. The safety car made a big difference last year, so there are a lot of question marks heading into this weekend’s return to Europe.”
