Pirelli unveils tire options for first races of 2024 F1 season

Feeling lost now that the 2023 Formula 1 season is over?

Well, we can already start talking about the 2024 season.

That is because Pirelli, the exclusive tire supplier for F1, announced on Friday the tire compounds for the first three races of the 2024 campaign: The Bahrain Grand Prix, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the Australian Grand Prix. There are a few changes from 2023. First off, the C0 compound, which was introduced for the 2023 campaign and was the hardest tire available, has been removed for the 2024 campaign.

While the options for both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix remain unchanged from 2023, the teams will have new options in Melbourne, as Pirelli looks to provide “more strategy options.”

From Pirelli’s announcement:

Compared to the initial selections for the championship last year there’s a new selection for Australia, scheduled from March 22-24. Albert Park will now use the three softest tyres in the range: C3 as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft. This selection is based on the data gathered this year, with the aim of offering more strategy options.

The two Middle East races will have the same tyres as last year. In Sakhir, from 29 February to March 2, is one of the toughest races for tyres and so will use the C1, C2, and C3. One week later in Jeddah, the tyres will be a step softer: C2 as the Hard, C3 as the Medium, and C4 as the Soft.

You can see the choices here:

As noted in the announcement, drivers will be able to test all five compounds at pre-season testing, slated for Bahrain ahead of the 2024 campaign.

So, F1 fans, we are getting closer and closer each day to the new season.

Even if it feels so far away.