Pirelli will use colour-coded sidewall writing to distinguish between its six tyre compounds in 2011, to help viewers know which tyre a driver is using when out on-track. Under Pirelli's system, the company's logo and "P Zero" writing on the side of the tyre will be in a different colour, depending on which tyre it is.

The colours are as follows:
Wet: Orange
Intermediate: Light blue
Super-soft: Red
Soft: Yellow
Medium: White
Hard: Silver

While the wet and intermediate tyres will be avaiable to teams at all races, Pirelli will bring only two dry-weather compounds to each race – either than super-soft and medium, or the soft and hard. The sidewall writing will be easily distinguishable for fans and spectators watching at home on their TV or in the stands at the racetrack.

“We' re very excited by the prospect of returning to Formula One for the first time in 20 years, and we're aiming to be a proactive and colourful partner in Formula One,” said Paul Hembery, Pirelli's Motorsport Director.

“So what better way to symbolise this than a brightly coloured selection of Pirelli logos to run on the sidewalls? These will enable both live and television audiences to tell at a glance who is on what compounds, which will be vital knowledge as tyres are set to form a key part of race strategy this year.”

Pirelli is bringing its soft and hard compound tyres to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix next weekend, meaning silver and yellow will be the colours on display.