F1 News: Pirelli Faces Unprecedented Challenge With Softest Tires For Las Vegas And Abu Dhabi

The three options for the race weekend would be C3, C4 and C5.

F1 tire supplier Pirelli heads into a big unknown in the last two races of the 2023 season as it chooses the softest tire compounds available for the Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.

The Italian manufacturer has six different tires on offer- the C0 being the hardest of all, while the C5 remains the softest option. For every Grand Prix weekend, three sets are chosen based on multiple factors, which then become Hard, Medium, and Soft tires. 

However, the uncertainty is at an all-time high in Las Vegas because Formula 1 will be racing there for the first time since 1982. The last race occurred on a different track, thus adding more to the dilemma because the teams have no real reference or data to rely on, even for their simulations to predetermine a basic setup that can be worked upon during the race weekend. 

Not only that but fears of the temperature dropping close to freezing is a concern for all teams as events in Las Vegas are set to take place way after sunset. Speaking to the media, Pirelli boss Mario Isola revealed that despite the information obtained from various parties, several questions remain unanswered. He said :

"Las Vegas is a step into the unknown, for everyone I think. Las Vegas will be cold, it's a street circuit. That's why we worked with the teams and asked them in advance for simulations to try to understand how much energy the layout of the track puts on the tires. We got information from the companies that make the asphalt to understand how the asphalt works. But there are still a lot of question marks at Las Vegas.

"We obviously can't change the weather, we can't raise the temperature. It could be a challenge to keep the temperature in the tire. So we decided to promote grip by using the three softest compounds in the pool. I can imagine a lot of track evolution and little grip. So the teams will complain! That's fine. We will also deal with this situation. But it's an unknown leap of faith. A fast track, long straights, high speed and all conditions that are difficult to manage."