F1 Bahrain pre-season test tyre colours explained
Formula 1 tyres will have a slightly different look during the pre-season test in Bahrain, with teams able to run any compound from the 2023 Pirelli range.
Teams will be allocated 30 sets of tyres across the range, as well as two sets of unmarked prototype tyres.
The prototype tyres are from the Pirelli back-up factory in Turkey, giving the manufacturer a chance to test the performance of the back-up supply against their regular factory tyres.
As teams are normally only assigned three compounds per weekend, the range of markings will be expanded across the six available slick compounds.
Teams will be eager to compare the performance of the new softer range of tyres, labelled C1-C5, as well as comparing against the hardest C0 tyre kept over from the 2022 season.
They are also likely to focus on the C1-C3 range for race runs, as the compounds have been selected for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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COMPOUND 0 - White Pirelli / 'P Zero’ Logos without stripe
Last year’s C1 tyre has become the C0 for 2023. This is the hardest tyre in the range, which will be nominated for the circuits that take the most energy out of the tyres. It’s designed to provide maximum resistance to heat and extreme forces, being capable of running very long stints, but this comes at the expense of peak performance. (Pirelli)
COMPOUND 1 - White striped tyre
This new-for-2023 compound slots in between last year’s C1 and C2. Based on the latter, it was created to reduce the performance gap between what had previously been the two hardest compounds in the range. (Pirelli)
COMPOUND 2 - Yellow Pirelli / 'P Zero’ Logos without stripe
The third-hardest compound remains very suited to the faster, hotter and more abrasive circuits. The harder compounds are sometimes nominated for new circuits, providing a conservative selection so that tyre loads can be verified in real-world race conditions for the first time. (Pirelli)
COMPOUND 3 - Yellow striped tyre
This compound is extremely versatile and can be used as either the hardest, the middle or the softest of any three-compound selection. With an excellent balance between performance and durability, this is well-suited to a wide range of conditions. (Pirelli)
COMPOUND 3 PROTO - Blank tyre
Prototype tyres from Pirelli’s factory in Turkey will be used as a back-up against the regular Pirelli supply. The performance of the prototype will be tested against the regular C3 tyre.
COMPOUND 4 - Red Pirelli / 'P Zero’ Logos without stripe
This compound is designated to work well on low-severity circuits, where quite a quick warm up is required in order to reach peak performance as soon as possible. This tyre is used extensively throughout the season. (Pirelli)
COMPOUND 5 - Red striped tyre
These are very softest tyres in the range, designed for the slowest circuits with low wear and degradation where maximum mechanical grip is required from the rubber. These are normally seen at street circuits or where the asphalt is exceptionally smooth. (Pirelli)
INTERMEDIATE - Green striped tyre
These are the wet weather tyres using in light rain or drying conditions when a slick compound would not be suitable.
WET - Blue striped tyre
These are the “full wet” wet weather tyres used during heavy rain or when large amounts of water remain on track.
