What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix and Sprint?
Formula 1 moves on to Interlagos this weekend for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and tyre suppliers Pirelli have confirmed the various compounds in use at the race meeting – which will also include the final Sprint event of the year.
Pirelli have chosen the three compounds in the middle of their range – the white-marked C2 hard, the yellow-marked C3 medium and the red-marked C4 soft – to tackle the 4.309km venue.
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It matches the selection made for Saudi Arabia, Imola, Miami, France, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, the United States and Mexico earlier this season.
However, under F1 Sprint regulations, drivers will get 12 sets of tyres instead of the usual 13 (2x hard, 4x medium and 6x soft), along with six sets of green intermediates and three sets of blue full wets.
The Sprint format means first practice and qualifying will take place on Friday, followed by FP2 and the 100km dash on Saturday and, finally, the Grand Prix itself on Sunday.
Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola said: “Formula 1 heads to Interlagos next weekend: the shortest lap of the year after Monaco and Mexico. It’s a historic track run anti-clockwise, which alternates some quick sections as well as medium-speed sequences of corners, such as the famous ‘Senna esses’.
“There aren’t any big demands on the tyres in terms of traction and braking because it’s a very flowing layout, and the lack of slow corners means that the teams are able to control the degradation on the rear tyres.
“Brazil will host the Sprint also this year, the last of the season, and it will be particularly interesting with this car package to see what will happen on the track and, once again, the key role of the different strategies that can be used.”
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He added: “In 2021 the grid on Saturday was equally split between drivers starting on the medium and the soft tyres. Despite the short length of the track, there’s normally plenty of overtaking. Just think of Lewis Hamilton who was the protagonist of a comeback that brought him to victory from 10th place, using a two-stop strategy. So the new generation of cars and tyres seems set to provide us with another thrilling race this year.”
For more information about Pirelli’s Formula 1 tyres, visit pirelli.com – and head to pirelli.com/150anni for more on Pirelli’s 150th anniversary.
