Bottas fastest lap shows Pirelli progress

Editor
Valtteri Bottas' fastest lap in Australia, set on the penultimate lap of the race shows the progress of Pirelli's tyres says their Formula 1 boss.

Valtteri Bottas' fastest lap in Australia, set on the penultimate lap of the race shows the progress of Pirelli's tyres says their Formula 1 boss.

Pirelli’s Formula 1 boss Mario Isola believes Valtteri Bottas‘ fastest lap in the Australian GP is proof of progress for the tyre manufacturer.

Pirelli has often been criticised for its tyres which are designed to degrade faster rather than last to improve the strategical side of the sport.

Often however, this has only resulted in vicious tyre management from drivers and therefore a lack of on-track action.

As the exclusive supplier of tyres in Formula 1, the company introduced a new range for 2019, and Bottas’ fastest lap from Melbourne, set on his penultimate tour of Albert Park, shows Pirelli’s progress in Isola’s opinion.

“Our aim this year was to provide compounds that enabled drivers to push from start to finish of every stint,” Isola told GP Blog.

“The fact that Bottas set the fastest race lap of Albert Park right at the end of the grand prix, in a close fight for the extra point with Verstappen, highlights how this objective has been achieved.

“All three compounds stood up well to the particular demands of Albert Park and they were all used extensively.

“We saw an interesting variation in strategy, with drivers using different tyres for different stint lengths, and – for those further down the grid – alternative strategies to make their way up the field.”

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