Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli have had to rely on simulations provided by teams to make selections for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, describing the event as their "biggest unknown" of the 2021 season. These simulations suggested that the three middle compounds in Pirelli's range are the best option for the all-new Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which is predominantly made up of long straights and sweeping high-speed corners. As such, the C2 will be used as the Hard tyre, the C3 as the Medium and the C4 as the Soft - the most commonly-selected nomination in 2021. "Jeddah is probably the biggest unknown we face all year, as with the track being completed very close to the race," said Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola. "As a result, we can only rely on simulations from F1 and the teams, along with other information we've collected, to come up with our nomination."
Tyres to be worked hard
The 6.174km, 27-corner track will be one of the fastest on the calendar, with an anticipated average speed of 250km/h. "This street circuit looks set to be quite different to anything else, and the high speeds with fast corners will obviously play a big part in the way that the tyres behave," added Isola. "Jeddah has more corners than any other track on the calendar, and one of them - Turn 13 - also has 12-degree banking, so there are plenty of different elements that will keep the tyres working hard."
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