Pirelli: Confidence is key in Monaco

Pirelli traditionally chose the softest tire compounds for the Monaco Grand Prix…

“As usual, tire choice in Monaco comes down to the three softest compounds: C3 is hard, C4 is medium and C5 is soft. Street paths have smooth asphalt and are used daily by street cars, so the tires must provide as much grip as possible.

In Monaco the load on the tires is minimal; some corners are driven at a speed of less than 50 km/h, and only 30% of the lap is completed with the accelerator fully depressed. But on Sunday, when you have to drive 78 laps, all the phenomena that influence the behavior of the tires occur much more often. Another factor is the granularity of the tires, which could disrupt the start of the weekend.

On a circuit where there is no room for error, one of the most important factors is the confidence, which the driver gradually gains with each lap, working on finding the optimal trajectory, getting closer and closer to the barriers and often crossing them touching the sidewalls of the tires. The skill is not to damage the car, and this is the key to guaranteeing a good starting position, which is very important in a race where overtaking is almost impossible.

This year the qualification is even more important; more than once we’ve seen racers separated by thousandths of a second. The appearance of the safety car is almost inevitable: the chance is more than 77%, that is almost twice per race, although the race was quiet last year. There is only one strategy option: maximize the first stint to benefit from the safety car and minimize lost time in the pit lane.”