Bahrain Grand Prix tyre plans reveal a return to the 2017 formula after a sudden shift of the race to Sepang in Malaysia.
Tyre selection anchored in 2017 data
Facing a compressed pre‑race window, Pirelli Motorsport’s director Dario Marrafuschi confirmed that tyre choices will mirror the medium, soft and supersoft compounds used last year at Kuala Lumpur. These fall within the C2‑C3‑C4 range of the current C1‑C5 system.
Marrafuschi noted that the 2017 contest, the first year Bahrain expanded tyre width, provided the most relevant benchmark. “The balance between size and vehicle package,” he said, “was close to today’s setup,” so the new campaign will adopt the same compound hierarchy.
Logistics: Air‑freighting and production schedules
With no time to dispatch analysts to Malaysia, the team must produce the tyres immediately, a task that will rely on air‑freight rather than sea shipment. Pirelli has cited a seven‑week notice requirement for European events, a standard it will apply to the Sepang race.
“We build flexible scenarios,” Marrafuschi explained, “including backup production that could cover the next round.” This approach intends to cushion the unpredictable calendar that now sees the Bahrain and Abu Dhabi meetings at risk.
Strategic flexibility for an unpredictable calendar
Given the possibility of a season finale at Imola, if certain legs are cancelled, Marrafuschi said Pirelli is prepared to use data from the Barcelona testing program to emulate the Sept‑10 environment. He added that the cooler December climate at Imola, with temperatures between 0‑8 °C, would require a different line of tactics.
For now, the focus remains on delivering a tyre package that delivers durable performance while maintaining strategic variety, enabling teams to work the Bahrain Grand Prix’s new layout with confidence.
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