Pirelli has defined the tires that will be used for Formula 1’s return to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. The supplier chose the C2, C3, and C4 compounds for the event, scheduled between October 2nd and 4th.
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The Malaysian GP will be the second race of a triple-header that starts in Azerbaijan and ends in Singapore. While Baku and Singapore will receive the softer compounds, C3, C4, and C5, Sepang will have a harder selection, consisting of hard C2, medium C3, and soft C4.
The choice considers the characteristics of the Malaysian circuit, which imposes medium levels of demand on the tires compared to other tracks on the calendar. At the same time, the Sepang asphalt is considered particularly abrasive and has not received a new resurfacing since the category’s last visit to the venue in 2017.
Even in this scenario, Pirelli decided not to bring the hardest compounds available. The strategy is to reduce the time difference between a one-stop race and a two-stop race in the pits, increasing the possibilities of strategies during the race.
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The chosen combination also exactly reproduces the compounds used in the last edition of the Malaysian GP in 2017. Although the nomenclature was different at that time, the hard, medium, and soft tires supplied that weekend corresponded to the current C2, C3, and C4.
In the last race held in Sepang, Max Verstappen won, while Lewis Hamilton finished second and Daniel Ricciardo completed the podium. The circuit’s return to the calendar will happen nine years after Formula 1’s last visit to the track.
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