Five compounds, three colours: Pirelli explains tyre test labelling. Pirelli explains tyre test labelling.

Formula One official tyre supplier Pirelli has revealed the way in which its compounds will be identifiable during pre-season testing.

Pirelli has previously used its ‘rainbow’ range, with each compound attached to a colour, but for 2019 it has altered its approach. It will nominate a Soft, Medium and Hard for each Grand Prix from a reduced range of compounds, which are officially labelled from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest).

The Soft will be red-banded, the Medium yellow and the Hard white, but for testing it has had to amend its approach, with all five compounds available for teams to trial. The C2, C3 and C4 will carry the Hard, Medium and Soft sidewall and brackets as usual.

The C1 and C5 will be red and white respectively, though neither will feature the brackets, in order to help trackside spectators distinguish between compounds (see image bellow).

“Normally we will only see three colours at every race, so we’re only using three colours at the tests as well,” said Pirelli chief Mario Isola – “But we want to make sure that people can tell the compounds apart. As a result, the very hardest and softest tyres won’t be marked with stripes: only the colours will vary. This will be the case for the in-season tests as well.”

Pre-season testing will begin at Spanish Grand Prix venue Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 18.