Friday, June 10, 2011 The Canadian Grand Prix from a Tire Point of View
 Wondering what Pirelli will provide this weekend? Just like Monaco, Pirelli brings the P Zero Yellow soft tire and P Zero Red supersoft tires to Montreal, one of the most demanding circuits of the year on tires.
The Track
The total lap length is 4.361 kilometers (2.710 miles), has six major braking points (making the track the most demanding of the year on brakes) combined with three chicanes and four high-speed corners.
The tight section in the middle of the track is characterized by two chicanes, a double braking area, and some rapid changes in direction – all in the space of less than 700 meters. These extreme stresses raise the tread temperature of the tires by 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in just 15 seconds, with a peak temperature exceeding 110° degrees Celsius (230 degrees Fahrenheit).
One of the most demanding areas of the entire lap for the car, driver and tires is the long hairpin bend where the cars scrub off 230 kph (143 mph) during the approach – down from 290 kph (180 mph) to just 60 kph (37 mph) – in less than three seconds over the space of only 130 meters. These parameters combine to produce a vertical pressure of 1100 kilograms (2420 pounds) on the front tires. Entering this corner is one of the prime spots for overtaking.
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