Hard tyres for Japan and India, super-soft in Korea

2012 F1 season

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Pirelli has announced its tyre allocations for the Japanese, Korean and Indian Grands Prix.

For the Suzuka race Pirelli will use the soft tyre again, but replace the medium compound used last year with the hard tyre.

At Korea and India the tyre choices will remain the same as last year.

The softest available compounds will be used in Korea, and the hard and soft will be supplied for F1’s return to the Buddh International Circuit.

Here’s the full 2012 tyre allocation so far compared to last year’s:

Circuit2012 Option2012 Prime2011 Option2011 Prime
MelbourneSoftMediumSoftHard
SepangMediumHardSoftHard
ShanghaiSoftMediumSoftHard
BahrainSoftMediumNo raceNo race
CatalunyaSoftHardSoftHard
Monte-CarloSuper-softSoftSuper-softSoft
MontrealSuper-softSoftSuper-softSoft
ValenciaSoftMediumSoftMedium
SilverstoneSoftHardSoftHard
HockenheimringSoftMediumNo raceNo race
HungaroringSoftMediumSuper SoftSoft
Spa-FrancorchampsMediumHardSoftMedium
MonzaMediumHardSoftMedium
SingaporeSuper SoftSoftSuper SoftSoft
SuzukaSoftHardSoftMedium
KoreaSuper SoftSoftSuper softSoft
BuddhSoftHardHardSoft

2012 F1 season


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Image © Pirelli/LAT

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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22 comments on “Hard tyres for Japan and India, super-soft in Korea”

  1. I haven’t been all that impressed with Pirelli’s tyre choices of late. It seems that they’ve gone from one extreme to the other: where they offered tyres that were a puzzle to work out to begin with, in the last few races they have supplied tyres that allowed for conservative strategies, and the pole-sitter has gone on to win. I’d like to see that element of the unknown back in the mix, though perhaps not as pronounced as it once was. I want to see teams faced with the conundrum of whether or not they should make an extra stop, which is what gave us such a nail-biter in Canada.

    I like Formula 1 best when there is an element of uncertainty, where the difference between first and second is a driver’s ability to go all in on a strategy and push it to the very limit. We’ve seen moments where drivers and teams have looked like they made the wrong choice at the wrong time – like Perez pitting later than Alonso in Malaysia; or McLaren committing Hamilton toa two-stop in Canada, only to see Red Bull and Ferrari double back onto a one-stop – and then brilliantly pull through.

      1. Disagree, I have far prefered how the tyres have been recently compared to earlier in the year.

        I’ve been enjoying the past few races a lot more than the earlier one’s.

      2. Singapore is going to be great, though. Last year the tyre-wear levels were extremely high, so I’m surprised to see they will use the softest compounds again. Overtaking will be hard, so the pitstop strategy is extremely important. Expect many cars to make an additional pitstop at the end of the race in order to catch up really quickly in the final laps.

    1. I want to see teams faced with the conundrum of whether or not they should make an extra stop, which is what gave us such a nail-biter in Canada.

      And the good thing is, we still get to see good old fashioned wringing the car by the neck when someone chooses the extra stop.

  2. Oops, Korea will be mad!

    1. You mean like how everyone was doing supersoft-supersoft-soft last year? :P

      1. It seems I thought wrong. Even it is said that this year’s Pirelli is softer than last year’s, teams are actually enjoying better tyre life. It might be they got used to Pirelli. So I expect we would see same amount or less amout of pit stops in Korea compared to last year. 1 stop can’t be ruled out andI believe some drivers or teams would try it. Maybe Sauber and Perez?

        I should say I don’t prefer recent trend(conservative choice of tyre) but when it comes to Korea, they don’t have softer choice now so ot might be theirbest effort. I think Pirelli should make tyre much softer next year because teams are much more experienced now.

    2. Ive enjoyed Korea ever since it arrived on the calender 2010 was strange but 2011 was magnificent, cars running so close in high speed corners, just great, insane.

  3. So where we had a fairly boring race and there were marbles everywhere they’ve chosen the same for Korea again?

    Mind you, this is 2012, so you never know…

    1. What? Korea was fantastic! you have the 2010 memories on.

  4. They have chosen the same for India as well, where teams were running the soft tyres for over 20 laps, in a 60 lap race last year, and still not really losing any pace. Vettel won last year, having done about 10 out of the 60laps on the hard tyre.

    1. They have, but the compound allocations have been switched around so the amount of soft tyres will be more limited than last year.

  5. @keithcollantine You seem to have mixed up the option and prime tyres for India 2011.

      1. I see. I didn’t know Pirelli bring an extra set of options, I assumed the option just meant the softer tyre. Thanks for that.

        1. that was only last year. Pirelli made the softer tyre the ‘prime’ and the hards the ‘option’. can’t remember why.

  6. I expected for super soft and mediums for indian gp….but with the choices pirellies made, its goin to be 1 stop strategy for most of the teams :(

  7. good choices of tyres by pirelli this time, the last two races havent matched the start of the season!

    1. yes, Mclaren didn’t win in Australia, stop with the lottery non-sense.

  8. Where are the Yellows!?!?!? Silver ones are boring. Love Medium and Soft combination.

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