F1: Pirelli confirms three compounds per race in 2016

Published Oct. 31, 2015 12:18 p.m. ET

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Pirelli will offer three tire compounds for F1 teams to use at each grand prix in 2016.

The news has been a long time coming, but it was finally confirmed by the Italian marque's Mario Isola ahead of this weekend's race in Mexico City.

To spice up the sport, Pirelli will designate three - not two - appropriate compounds per grand prix from 2016, with teams able to pick and choose how to populate their allocations of 13 sets of dry slick tires per driver.

So it is possible that a single driver will use all three compounds of tires during races next year.

"There are still discussions about the details," Isola told Auto Motor und Sport.

"But especially at the beginning of next season, we will see teams go in different directions," he added.

Isola also confirmed that an all-new compound, one step softer than the 'Super soft' and reportedly to be called the 'Ultra soft', will be introduced next year that will probably feature purple Pirelli branding.

Pirelli has opened up the selection of the color to the voting public, but Isola said: "I voted in favor of purple.

"It reminds me of the color for the fastest lap on the timing screen, which seems appropriate for the fastest tire."

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