Photo: Jerry Andre / LAT Images / FIA F2 Championship
Formula 2 and Formula 3 will race on different tyre compounds at each of the two back-to-back rounds at the Red Bull Ring that will begin the 2020 season.
All four of the compounds that make up Pirelli’s F2 range will be used over the course of the two weekends, with the hard and soft compounds nominated for the opening round before a softer selection of the medium and supersoft tyres feature in round two.
F3 will start the season on the medium tyre before switching to the hard for round two.
As the Red Bull Ring is a low-severity circuit for the tyres, both championships usually use the softest available compounds, with F2 historically racing on the soft and supersoft tyre and F3 on the soft.
However, the series organiser has asked Pirelli to mix up the compounds to provide an added variable between the two weekends.
The F2 races in Austria will be the first with the new 18-inch wheels and tyres, introduced ahead of their arrival in F1 in 2022.
“It’s fantastic to see the Formula 2 and Formula 3 seasons finally starting together with Formula 1 in Austria – especially with the debut of the 18-inch tyres in F2,” said Pirelli’s head of racing Mario Isola.
“This in particular is an exciting moment for us as we build up to the introduction of 18-inch tyres in F1. It also gives the F2 drivers the chance to gain experience that could be very important for them in the future.
“We’ve additionally got different tyre nominations for each Austrian race weekend in both championships, following a request from the promoter to add in an extra element of unpredictability for the second weekend.
“The drivers have been out of the cockpit for a long time now, so it’s probably going to be a steep learning curve.”
While Formula 1 will use the same tyre compounds across its two races in Austria, Pirelli has announced that there will be difference in the compounds available for the Silverstone double-header at the beginning of August. It is understood that a similar strategy is set to be deployed for F2’s visit to the British circuit.