Pirelli goes one step softer in Australia this year and nominates the C5, which was hardly tried by the teams during pre-season testing
Pirelli has nominated the C5 compound for Melbourne for the first time this season, making it the softest option of all the tires for the race weekend. In addition to the C5, the C4, which was already selected in Jeddah, and the C3, which is basically used in every race, will also be used at Albert Park.
The selection is a touch softer than in 2023, when the C2 to C4 compounds were selected.
According to Pirelli, the decision was made after an analysis of last year’s race. Back then, C2 was the best choice for most drivers: ten drivers used the hard tire for 47 of the 58 laps, and three drivers even drove more than 50 laps on it.
To bring a little more variety into the mix, Pirelli therefore opted for the C5 in 2024. However, this is not the first time that the softest compound has been used in Melbourne: Pirelli also chose the C5 in 2022, but paired it with the C3 and C2, skipping the C4.
In the race, however, only Alexander Albon (Williams) drove on the soft, and that for one lap, because he only came in for his only pit stop on the penultimate lap. Almost all the other drivers had also only made one pit stop.
Whether the softer choice will provide more strategic variety remains to be seen. However, the teams and drivers can expect a leap into the unknown, as the C5 is the tire that everyone knows the least about.
It was not nominated in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, and only 140 kilometers were completed on this tire during the pre-season tests.
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was the only one to do a real long run on it, while the Williams drivers mainly did in- and outlaps on it. Otherwise, only Ferrari and Sauber had nominated soft tires for the test, but the rough track was not suitable for the C5 tires either.
The track at Albert Park is generally gentle on the tires: Degradation is a bigger factor for tires than wear. And the extensive supporting program with Formula 2, Formula 3, Porsche Carrera Cup and the Australian Supercars means that there is also enough rubber on the track to increase the grip level.
