Pirelli unveil softer compounds for 2012

Pirelli announce some changes to the tyres for the 2012 season, with increased wear and difference in colours.

Despite doing a sterling job in 2011, Pirelli are trying to further improve the standards of F1 racing, as they announced their softer compounds for the upcoming 2012 season.

Pirelli revealed new soft, medium and hard compounds. The super-soft tyre remains unchanged, but all four dry tyres will have some changes to their construction. The Italian tyre manufacturer also unveiled their new wet weather. The intermediate is unchanged, however both will be distinguished by different colours - the wet is changing from orange to dark blue, while the intermediate is changing from light blue to green. The dry tyres however keep their colouring from 2011, the super-soft red, the soft yellow, the medium white and the hard silver.

According to Pirelli the banning of exhaust-blown diffusers has influenced their choice of tyres for 2012: “This new measure, which should result in a reduction of aerodynamic downforce acting on each tyre, requires a wider and more even contact patch. This objective has been met by having a less rounded shoulder on each tyre and using softer compounds, which produce better grip and more extreme performance.”

The new tyres will make their first appearance at the start of F1 testing at Jerez on February 7th.