Pirelli to use three colours for 2019 compounds

Pirelli has confirmed that it will use just three colours to separate the tyres used during a Grand Prix weekend. Tyres will also be referred to as the 'hard', 'medium' and 'soft' compounds to provide an easier understanding for the fans.

The tyre colours will be white (hard), yellow (medium) and soft (red). This year, Pirelli has seven dry weather tyre compounds in its range. and uses a different colour sidewall for each tyre, leading to confusion among some fans.

At each event in 2019, the tyres will be referred to as the hard, medium and soft, regardless of what the actual tyre specification is. Pirelli will release information prior to the race weekend of which tyres will be brought, picking from a range of five to six compounds, which will be coded in letter or number form.

"For a bit of time we were talking about this idea, to eliminate what we call the rainbow, as we have too many colours and sometimes it's not easy for spectators to understand the difference in compounds," said Pirelli boss Mario Isola. "After some discussion we have decided to use, I would say, the most famous three colours in our range."

2019 will be Pirelli's last year on its current contract as Formula 1's official tyre supplier, a role it has held since 2011. It is believed that it faces competition over a 2020-2023 contract from Hankook, with the South Korean company interested in joining F1 for the first time.