They tested the evolution of the compound during Friday practice in Turkey nearly two weeks ago, after its private test debuts at Istanbul and Barcelona, with it designed to degrade less severely by providing less grip.

"We said from the start of the year that we would introduce evolutions of the tires if we believed that they would benefit the sport and Barcelona marks the first occasion that we have done this," confirmed Pirelli motor sport director Paul Hembery.

However, he is still expecting drivers to have to stop three times on Sunday.

"It's not a huge step over the original hard tire but it does mean that there is a bigger gap between the soft and the hard, which will definitely give teams the opportunity to use more creative strategies," added Hembery.