Coloured tyres to keep fans in loop

(GETTY IMAGES)

Formula One tyres will be colour-coded from next week's season-opener in Australia to help fans tell which of six kinds are being used by drivers, new supplier Pirelli said yesterday.

The Italian company said in a statement that prominent logos on the sidewall of each tyre would carry distinct colouring depending on the type. Only two of four possible compounds of slick tyre will be available in each race, plus intermediate and wet tyres in the event of rain.

Pirelli said the wets used in heavy rain conditions would be coded orange while intermediates suited to a damp and drying track would be light blue.

Supersoft compounds, providing speed at the expense of durability, will be coded red. Soft tyres that last slightly longer will be yellow, medium tyres white and hards – the most durable of all – silver.

"The first three grands prix of the year will be hard and soft compounds, meaning that silver and yellow tyres will be first to make an appearance," the company said.