The spotlight is on Pirelli’s C6 compound as teams head to Monaco, hoping for improved grip and strategy options this time.
It was almost a fiasco: the debut of the new supersoft tyres at Imola, the C6s, didn’t win everyone over. The tyre wasn’t necessarily faster than the C5 mediums… so much so that George Russell and the Aston Martin F1 cars set their Q3 times using those C5s.
At Monaco, one of the least abrasive tracks of the year, shouldn’t the C6s still perform better? Could they be a viable option in qualifying as well as in the race?
Mediums Likely, Softs Possible
Will James Vowles consider using the C6s during the race for Williams F1?
“It’s always a tricky tyre. There’s no doubt about that. But it works. I mean, it was designed more with this Monaco track in mind than Imola.”
“The energy you put into a tyre at Imola is quite high, which is why the medium was relatively good in qualifying. So I think it’s more appropriate here.”
“However, I’d say early signs suggest the gap between the medium and the soft is not huge. So both tyres are usable.”
“So, will people run the softs during the race? Potentially, as you said, towards the very end, but I think you’ll mostly see the medium as the tyre of choice.”
C6 Tyres Under Scrutiny
For Aston Martin F1, CEO Andy Cowell confirms that the C6 is far more suited to Monaco than to Imola.
“Like James, we’ve only used the C6 tyre so far this weekend. At Imola, the C5 was best suited to our car in qualifying.”
“And we’ll learn more in the next session, then make a decision on which direction to take.”
“I think the tyres were roughly equivalent,” says James Vowles, joined by Toto Wolff, who believes the C6 softs are “not necessarily much faster.” A tenth at most.
In the future, Pirelli also plans to bring C2, C3, and C5 tyres to a single Grand Prix, skipping, for example, an intermediate step.
Is this a good idea? Could it influence Grand Prix weekend strategy?
Strategists Face Compound Challenge
“Yes. As James said, this weekend we have to use three tyre sets and that’s something new,” Cowell continues.
“So, all the strategy groups are working out what to do for this weekend. Some will get it right, others won’t, but there will be variety, and that means we’ll deliver more entertainment.”
“Skipping a step in the compound range is a similar way of achieving that. So yes, it will be—it will be great to see. It’ll be great to see the strategy group really put their heads together.”
“Exactly that. It happened a few years ago, so it’s not the first time we’ve skipped a compound step,” adds James Vowles, also for Williams F1.
“But I’m glad I’m no longer doing strategy and I wish them all the best—I’ll be right there with them, whatever happens.”
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