Pirelli delves into unexpected one-stop strategies, revealing multiple underlying theories.
Pirelli had not anticipated drivers adopting a single-stop strategy at Spa-Francorchamps this Sunday.
Yet, several managed to do so, and Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, was impressed by the competitiveness across all teams in Belgium, noting the tight gaps.
“First of all, I must say that this race was truly thrilling,” declared Isola. “It has been a while since Formula 1 has delivered such a spectacle, and it is unusual to see a race with an outcome so uncertain, with the top three separated by just over a second.”
“The top six, who could all legitimately aim for victory or at least a podium finish, all ended within 10 seconds of each other. It is regrettable that the race result had to be adjusted, but as Mercedes acknowledged, the rule regarding weight is very clear.”
“The second topic is strategy. Before the race, we had stated that a single stop was not as fast compared to two stops, but putting aside Russell’s disqualification, his performance contradicts that theory. For a preliminary explanation, at least in terms of tyre behaviour, certain factors stand out.”
“Firstly, the track temperature during the race was about 10 degrees higher than in Free Practice 2, which probably contributed to very limited graining on the hard tyres, in contrast to significant graining on the mediums during a long stint,” continued the Italian, before explaining other reasons for these one-stop strategies.
“Moreover, it can be assumed that teams worked hard to define car settings to find the best compromise between a wet qualifying and a dry race and to try to protect the front axle, which was most susceptible to graining. A third factor to consider is that many drivers took great care of their mediums, particularly in the fastest corners.”
“Two-thirds of the race was a fascinating chess game, with moves and counter-moves, especially among the leaders, but also further back in the pack, then everything came alive in the last about 15 laps, with all drivers starting to push and fight for track position.”
“It was a spectacle which, as I said, means we head into the summer break with a strong desire to see something similar in a few weeks at Zandvoort and for the remainder of the season.”
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One-Stop Strategy Surprise: Pirelli’s Insight One-Stop Strategy Surprise: Pirelli’s Insight
