Formula 1’s tyre supplier, Pirelli, will add an additional compound to its line-up for 2016, expanding the range from four to five, with the fifth compound a super-super-soft.
The change is part of wider shake-up of the tyre rules for next season, in the hope it will create different strategies and allow teams to take a more aggressive of conservative route.
At present Pirelli nominate two dry compounds from a possible four for each race weekend, both of which must be used at least once during the race.
However in 2016, it’s believed they will move to a new system whereby Pirelli nominate three compounds, one of which will be mandatory, again this will be chosen by Pirelli, whilst the teams themselves can choose one from the remaining two they will run alongside Pirelli’s chosen tyre.
According to Autosport, the compounds will likely be called A, B, C, D and E, or numbered one through five, but when three have been selected for a race, they will be known as the soft, medium and hard options.
If Pirelli elects the medium compound as the mandatory option, a team could choose between running the medium and soft for an aggressive strategy, or a conservative one with the medium and hard.
The move is a watered-down version of the Strategy Group’s proposal to allow a completely free tyre choice. With Pirelli voicing concerns over safety, they proposed the aforementioned idea which is due to go before a vote later this month.