The 2018 Pirelli Rainbow

November 23, 2017 JOMA

The 2018 Pirelli Rainbow… Orange is the new Superhard, Pink is the new Hypersoft, and the hard compound turns Ice Blue!

Pirelli launches its new range of 2018 Formula 1 tires in Abu Dhabi, which adds two extra compounds and colors next year, as well as fresh constructions, compounds and working ranges across the renewed family. These are the main points towards 2018:

All the compounds are a step softer than this year, making these the fastest tires in Formula 1 history.
Brand new for 2018 is a tire that sits below the ultrasoft: an even softer compound called P Zero Pink hypersoft, which is colored pink and is the softest Formula 1 tire that Pirelli has ever made. This new compound will be suitable for circuits where maximum mechanical grip is required, such as Monaco.
Also new for 2018 is the hard compound, which will now be colored ice blue .
Another new entry is the superhard , remaining orange as a symbol of the very hardest choice available in our range.
In total, there will now be seven slick P Zero compounds, which together with the new Cinturato intermediates and wets expand the 2018 range to nine brightly - colored Pirelli tires.
Compounds and constructions have been redesigned for each tire, in keeping with Pirelli’s philosophy of renewing the range every year since the Italian firm returned to Formula 1 in 2011.
There are new working ranges across the entire family as well, which together with the increased number of compounds, will allow tire nominations that are more specifically suited to each race next year. For Pirelli and the Teams, this also means that there can be more flexibility and variation in the tire choices, leading to extra opportunities when it comes to formulating creative race strategies.
The brand new pink tire, was named the P Zero Pink hypersoft following a poll across Pirelli’s social media channels, endorsed by the sport’s leading personalities, who invited fans to choose a new name after the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Compared to this year, when the tires grew by 25% to fit a brand - new generation of cars, the changes for next year are less far - reaching. However, we’re pleased to present some important innovations with softer and faster compounds across the range: including the new hypersoft . We realized that, under the unique circumstances of this year, some of our 2017 compounds were perhaps conservative: the tires we have created for 2018 addresses this, in line with the objective of having around two pit stops at most races. However, the fundamental design concept of the tires hasn’t changed next year, preserving the attributes that all drivers have appreciated this year and allowing them to push hard from the start to the finish of each stint. The new range consists of faster tires that should lead to even harder and more spectacular racing in 2018.

Mario Isola, Pirelli's Head of Car Racing

COURTESY OF Pirelli