Pirelli announces tyre allocations

The Italian manufacturer said the hard tyre will be the Prime tyre, while the soft will be the Option in Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China.

"This decision has been made in accordance with the track characteristics in the Middle and Far East, which offer high grip and a wide variety of speeds and corners, as well as ambient and track temperatures that are likely to be high," said the company in a statement.

Pirelli said its decision is aimed at having two pitstops at every race.

"The valuable data that we've collected from both official and private testing has shown us that our nomination of hard and soft tyres is the best way forward for both the drivers and the spectators, so we look forward now to a successful Grand Prix debut and a great show in the Middle and Far East over the next four races," said Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery.

"We've enjoyed great collaboration with the teams so far, and with the nominated compounds for the next four races now known, I am sure that this will help to focus their development for the start of the season."