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F1 teams make Australian GP Pirelli tyre compound choices

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has revealed the teams' compound choices for the opening race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix.

The Italian company will supply five compounds in 2019, compared to seven last year, and they will range from softest (C5) to hardest (C1).

It has also changed the colours for 2019. The C5 and C4 feature red Pirelli logos and the C4 features a red stripe between the two Pirelli logos on the sidewall.

The C3 has yellow stripes and logos, while the C2 and C1 feature white logos. The C2 has a white stripe between the two logos.

For the season-opening race, Pirelli has chosen the C2, C3 and C4 compounds.

As it was the norm last year, all teams have opted for the softest rubber as their preferred choice.

Champion Mercedes, as well as rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, will have a total of nine sets of the C4 compound at their disposal for the Melbourne weekend.

All their drivers, except Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, have chosen a single set of the hardest rubber (shown above), with the Monegasque opting for two sets.

Renault is the only team that has maxed out on C4 tyres, with Racing Point and Williams the most conservative with eight sets of the softest rubber.

The season kicks off in Australia on the March 15-17 weekend.

Zdroj: autosport.com