Tyres, Albert Park, 2019

Pirelli confirms first appearance of softest ‘C5’ compound in Monaco

2019 Monaco Grand Prix

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Pirelli has confirmed it will supply the softest tyres in its range for the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

Formula 1’s official tyre supplier will bring its softest compound, the C5, to a grand prix for the first time this year. The C5, which is similar to the ‘hyper-soft’ compound used last year, will be designated the ‘soft’ tyre and feature red markings.

Drivers will also be able to selected the C4 (medium, yellow) and C3 (hard, white) compounds. The Monte-Carlo street track is the slowest circuit on the calendar and has an unusually low grip surface, and usually requires the softest tyres available.

Pirelli has already announced the same selection of tyres for the following round on the calendar, the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

2019 F1 tyre compounds choices

The tyre selections for the first seven races on the 2019 F1 calendar have now been announced.

2019 tyres2018 tyres
MelbourneC2C3C4SoftSuper-softUltra-soft
BahrainC1C2C3MediumSoftSuper-soft
ShanghaiC2C3C4MediumSoftUltra-soft
BakuC2C3C4SoftSuper-softUltra-soft
CatalunyaC1C2C3MediumSoftSuper-soft
Monte-CarloC3C4C5Super-softUltra-softHyper-soft
MontrealC3
C4C5Super-soft

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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6 comments on “Pirelli confirms first appearance of softest ‘C5’ compound in Monaco”

  1. Again with this conservative step. C 1-2-3, C 2-3-4 & C 3-4-5. So boring. When will we get C 1-3-5 or C 1-4-5 or any other selection with bigger chances of having strategic battle?

    1. I was thinking the same thing. The whole point of having different compounds is to force different tire strategies on the teams, yet the tires are so similar. Although, I seem to recall commentary during Melbourne that there was a 1.5s a lap difference between the softest to hardest selection for the race. What’s the difference between overall softest to hardest? Are we into comedy car territory at that point?

  2. I wanna see them do C1-C4-C5 aswell. Imagine Monaco with 1 tyre that lasts only 5 laps and two tyres that are 4 seconds slower due to not heating up enough? It would be crazy.

    1. @jureo

      C1-C4-C5

      1 tyre that lasts only 5 laps and two tyres that are 4 seconds slower

      Looks like you’ve made a very understandable mistake here: The scale from C1 to C5 isn’t sorted from softest to hardest – it’s the other way around. Your proposed tyre range (in 2018 terms) would be Hypersoft-Ultrasoft-Hard.

      As for your intended scenario: It would do absolutely nothing for the fans, just result in farcical but identical strategies and incessant (justified) complaints about Pirelli’s tyre selection.

  3. I was under the impression the 2019 tyres were prepared to encourage 2 stop racing, but Albert Park has already got me concerned that we may see a few more dull 1 stoppers this season.

    1. Pirelli has never said it expects to increase the number of pit stops with the 2019 tyres. They said this with the 2018 tyres but not this year’s rubber:

      F1 may have to accept more one-stop races in 2019 – Pirelli
      Pirelli expects ‘one-stop races but more action’ in 2019

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