Pirelli hopes double gap between tyre compounds pays off in Spain

For the first time this season, Pirelli is not bringing tyres that are next to each other in the compound range. Instead, it has chosen the soft and the hard tyre for the tricky demands of the Circuit de Catalunya.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery believes that path will ensure that teams are kept on their toes in working out how best to execute the grand prix - which should in turn help produce a good race.

"We've nominated the soft and hard tyre in order to highlight performance differences that will create a different challenge for the teams, showcasing both the speed and durability of our products," he said.

"There is a whole step in between our two nominations for the first time this year and this should allow the teams to come up with a number of different tyre strategies that could make a big difference to the final outcome.

"With many teams having expanded their knowledge of our tyre range and tested new components at Mugello, we're expecting a closely-fought Spanish Grand Prix - and maybe even the fifth different winner in five races."