F1: Bahrain Pirelli Preview: Heat and Sand Set The Stage

Just as we all thought we were starting to get to know tyre performance, range and temperatures, Formula One heads for the desert sands of Bahrain.  Temperatures are going to be considerably higher than teams have experienced up to this point, which is going to change the characteristics and behaviour of all the compounds.  How long is each set going to last?  How quickly will the peak performance drop off? 

The circuit in Bahrain is somewhat green in that it isn’t really used much so it will take some time to “rubber in”.  This means that the tarmac will eventually start coming alive and offer more grip as the weekend continues.  Pirelli man Paul Hembery recently said that he would expect a considerable amount of degradation in Bahrain which will throw the element of strategy in the mix.  One additional factor however is going to be the possibility of some blowing sand.  While steps have been taken in the past to try contain the surrounding sand from blowing around, it cannot all be contained, so expect some nervous and twitch cars in some corners as the sand plays a small role in spicing up the action.

Pirelli Compounds for Bahrain:  Soft and Medium