Another double header of races kicks off this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix \u2013 and tyre suppliers Pirelli have confirmed the compounds that the teams and drivers will have available to them for Round 10 on the calendar.<\/p>\n
For the challenges posed by the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the C2, C3 and C4 have been selected as the hard, medium and soft compounds respectively.<\/p>\n
Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as access to the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.<\/p>\n
An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying, while all drivers must use at least two different slick compounds during the race, providing the track is dry.<\/p>\n
With the local Ardennes forest area known for its changing climate \u2013 while the Spa circuit itself poses a technical challenge to the drivers \u2013 there is an element of unpredictability heading into the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn case of bad weather, rain-laden clouds take longer to clear the area, leaving the circuit damp and affecting the asphalt conditions,\u201d Pirelli\u2019s weekend preview reads. \u201cWhen it rains, drivers often encounter sections of the track that are dry and others that remain wet, making tyre choice particularly delicate, between slicks and intermediates.\u201d<\/p>\n
It continues: \u201cThe track was completely resurfaced a couple of years ago and, in the early days of the weekend, generally offers a relatively low level of grip. Grip levels may improve thanks to the recent GT racing weekend, with the 24 Hours of Spa leaving additional rubber on the track.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe three sectors of the circuit each have very different characteristics and have always posed a set-up puzzle for teams. The first is the fastest and includes a long straight where overtaking is common; the second is more technical, with medium-speed corners, many of which are downhill; the third is more flowing and develops on a gentle uphill gradient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, the introduction of new aerodynamics should make it easier to find the right compromise in terms of downforce. The cars will be able to run higher downforce configurations for the more technical sections while benefiting from straight-line mode on the straights. As seen at Silverstone, the drivers\u2019 ability to manage and efficiently recharge the power unit will also be crucial.<\/p>\n
\u201cTemperatures could also have a significant influence on the weekend and race strategies. During the 24 Hours of Spa, held at the end of June, track temperatures exceeded 55\u00b0C.<\/p>\n
“With such high values, it is plausible that thermal tyre degradation will increase, raising the likelihood of two-stop strategies. In any case, the two hardest compounds in the range are expected to be the protagonists in Sunday\u2019s race.\u201d<\/p>\n