Formula 1 teams have until Friday to submit their tyre choice for the season opening Australian Grand Prix under new rules for the 2016 season.
As part of a push to create more varying strategies during grands prix, the FIA has agreed to let teams choose one of the compounds they will use at each of the races next season.
The rules stipulate that Pirelli will nominate three compound choices for each event – one more than in previous seasons – out of a possible five (ultrasoft, supersoft, soft, medium and hard).
The teams will be allocated 13 sets of tyres, with Pirelli nominating which compound two of those sets will be, out of the three compounds it has chosen for the event.
The teams will then elect which compounds it would like for the remaining 11 sets, and this must be done 14 weeks in advance of each international race and eight for European events.
However with the season ending just days ago, Pirelli has given a week’s grace for the season opening Australian GP, meaning teams will have until Friday to select their choices.
It’s understood that Pirelli has nominated the supersoft, soft and medium for Melbourne. The supersoft hasn’t previously been used at Albert Park and therefore selecting it offers somewhat of an unknown for the teams.
It’s likely most will take a conservative approach for the first few races as they are yet to test their cars, and therefore are unaware of how they might handle the tyres.
