Pirelli’s 2016 facts and figures

2016 has been an incredible Formula One season both on and off the track so here we decided to take a look at just how important Pirelli, sole tyre supplier to the series, performed over the year.

The following are a few facts and figures as a souvenir of a year that will go down in history. Pirelli introduced a brand new compound this year– the ultrasoft – and also new regulations that allowed teams to use three compounds during each race, selected in advance.

This extra tactical intrigue proved to be a highlight of the year, enhancing the show still further. We also saw the final season of tyres with a deliberately high level of degradation, because from next season there is a new philosophy in line with the latest direction for the sport.

“At the same time as completing this season, we were testing for the next one: both using prototypes in 2016 dimensions, and then, from August, prototypes in 2017 size on adapted mule cars over 24 cumulative test days,” explained Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director. “As a result of that, and the biggest calendar ever featured in the sport, we completed a longer distance, at higher levels of performance, than has ever been seen before in the history of Formula 1.”

TYRES

• Total number of tyres supplied in 2016: 42,792
• Of these, 38,112 were supplied for race weekends and 4,680 for testing
• Of the 42,792 tyres, 28,188 were slicks and 14,604 were rain or intermediate tyres
• Total number of tyres used during race weekends: 15,652, of which 13,844 were slick tyres and 1,808 were rain or intermediates
• Total number of tyres that were recycled: all
• Maximum number of kilometres driven on each compound (excluding tests):
  Hard: 759 km (Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull)
  Medium: 3,597 km (Valtteri Bottas, Williams)
  Soft: 6,566 km (Sergio Perez, Force India)
  Supersoft: 4,598 km (Valtteri Bottas, Williams)
  Ultrasoft: 2,052 km (Nico Rosberg, Mercedes)
  Intermediate: 444 km (Jenson Button, McLaren)
  Wet: 523km (Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes)

PIT STOPS

• Total number of pit stops: 933, of which 4 drive-throughs and one was a stop and go)
• This makes an average of 4 per race, and 2.01 per driver in each race
• Most pit stops in a race: 66 at the Chinese Grand Prix
• Fewest pit stops in a race: 26 in Russia

OVERTAKING

• Total number of overtaking manoeuvres during the season: 866 (*), with an average of 2 per race
• Highest number of overtaking manoeuvres at a dry race: 128 in China (**)
• Highest number of overtaking manoeuvres at a wet race: 64 in Brazil
• Fewest number of overtaking manoeuvres at a dry race: 10 in Hungary
• Driver with the most overtaking manoeuvres during the year: Max Verstappen, 78 (**)
• Driver with the most overtaking manoeuvres at a single race: 18, Lewis Hamilton in China
• Driver who has been overtaken least: Sebastian Vettel, one time (by Max Verstappen at the Brazilian Grand Prix, 66^th lap, 5^th position)
• Driver who made up most places on the opening lap: Fernando Alonso, who gained 41 positions on the opening lap
• Team that carried out most overtaking: Red Bull, 136 moves (**) – 61 by Daniel Ricciardo, 60 by Max Verstappen, 15 by Daniil Kvyat
• Team that has been overtaken least: Mercedes, seven times (Nico Rosberg four, Lewis Hamilton three)

(*) How overtaking moves are calculated: an overtaking manoeuvre is counted as one that takes place during complete flying laps (so not on the opening lap) and is then maintained all the way to the lap's finish line. Position changes due to major mechanical problems or lapping/unlapping are not counted.
(**) It's the highest value since 1983 (the first year since when data is available)

CIRCUITS AND RACING

• Longest race of the season: Brazil, three hours, one minute and 01,335 seconds
• Shortest race of the year: Italy, one hour, 17 minutes and 28,089 seconds
• Fastest race of the year: Italy, winner's average speed (Nico Rosberg), 558 kph
• Highest speed reached by a Pirelli P Zero Formula One tyre during a grand prix: 5 km/h, Valtteri Bottas in Mexico (*)
• Highest number of fastest laps: Lewis Hamilton, 15 (3 in races and 12 in qualifying)
• Highest number of laps led: 566 (Lewis Hamilton)

(*) New record in an official F1 session (previous: 370,1 kph, Kimi Raikkonen at the Italian Grand Prix, 2005)

2017 WIDER TYRE TESTS

• Number of prototypes tested: 96
• Tyres' width: +25%
• Teams involved in Pirelli's testing programme: 3 (Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull)
• Drivers involved: 11, of which 4 Ferrari, 4 Red Bull and 3 Mercedes
• Days of testing: 24
• Laps: 2,613
• Total of kilometres: 12,148 km
• Circuits: 5 (Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Fiorano, Mugello, Paul Ricard)

KILOMETRES TESTED WITH WIDER TYRES

• Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes): 3,248
• Pierre Gasly (Red Bull): 2,494
• Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari): 2,228
• Sébastien Buemi (Red Bull): 1,190
• Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari): 1,054
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 517
• Esteban Gutiérrez (Ferrari): 480
• Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari): 478
• Nico Rosberg (Mercedes): 209
• Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull): 200
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): 50

PIRELLI IN FORMULA ONE (SINCE 1950)

• Races: 320
• Wins: 161
• Pole positions: 164
• Podiums: 490
• Fastest laps: 168
• Driver titles: 11
• Team titles: 6

OTHER INTERESTING NUMBERS

• Number of drivers (including third drivers and young drivers) who have driven a Pirelli-equipped Formula One car since 2010: 102
• Kilometres driven by all the P Zero compounds throughout 2016 (including tests, practice, qualifying and races): 384,705 km (excluding prototype tyres)
• By compound, it works out as: Hard 14,236; Medium 99,447; Soft 133,988; Supersoft 86,014; Ultrasoft 31,647; Intermediate 8,278; Wet 11,095
• Distance covered in testing during 2016 (excluding race weekends): 61,772 km, of which over 12,000 km with 2017 Wider Tyres
• Distance covered in races in 2016: 123,534 km
• Number of fastest laps (in qualifying and races) set by the world champion in 2016: 14 (six in races and eight in qualifying)
• Lowest average speed at which a dry race has been won in 2016: 992 kph (Nico Rosberg, Singapore Grand Prix)
• Lowest asphalt temperatures recorded during a race (on Sunday): 15°C in Canada
• Lowest asphalt temperatures recorded during a race weekend: 13°C in Mexico.
• Highest asphalt temperatures recorded during a race (on Sunday): 59°C in Malaysia
• Highest asphalt temperatures recorded during a race weekend: 61°C, again in Malaysia
• Lowest ambient temperatures recorded during a race (on Sunday): 11°C in Canada
• Lowest ambient temperatures recorded during a race weekend: 11°C in Canada
• Highest ambient temperatures recorded during a race (on Sunday): 37°C in Malaysia
• Highest ambient temperatures recorded during a race weekend: 37°C in Malaysia