The grid is about for the Formulation 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri nipped Max Verstappen for pole place on Saturday, with George Russell taking third and Piastri’s McLaren teammate Lando Norris qualifying fourth.
Commercial
However some fascinating tire choices can be found for the 20 drivers for when the lights exit.
Here’s a take a look at the technique choices for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
What occurred on the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?
With clear climate and no security automobiles, the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was a slightly simple affair. Nearly all of the drivers that began inside the highest ten carried out a one-stop race as anticipated, beginning on the medium tires earlier than switching to the onerous compound.
The three drivers who began up entrance — Max Verstappen on pole, adopted by Lando Norris after which Charles Leclerc — completed in that order. Norris was the primary to cease, pitting on Lap 22 for his change to the onerous tires, adopted by Verstappen on Lap 24 and Leclerc on Lap 25. Over the closing laps, Norris’ onerous tires got here alive, and he chased Verstappen to the checkered flag, ending lower than a second behind the Pink Bull driver.
Commercial
A bit additional again within the discipline, Oscar Piastri, who began fifth regardless of qualifying second after he was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen in Q1, made an undercut technique work. He began on the medium tire and switched to the onerous on Lap 23, leaping into P4 forward of Carlos Sainz Jr.
Sainz stayed out till Lap 27, and couldn’t chase Piastri down, ending greater than seven seconds behind the McLaren driver.
The highest finisher to make use of a two-stop technique was George Russell, who completed seventh and picked up a bonus level for the quickest lap. Russell began on a set of medium tires, stopping on Lap 21 for a set of hards, after which pitting once more on Lap 52 for one more set of mediums. Mercedes was involved about excessive ranges of tire put on on his set of hards, and he got here dwelling six seconds forward of Sergio Pérez, who was the one factors scorer to start out on the onerous compound earlier than switching to the medium, which he did on Lap 37.
What are the tire choices for the 2025 race?
Right here is the place issues get fascinating.
Commercial
Pirelli has gone a step softer within the vary of compounds this 12 months. A season in the past, the C3 was the onerous tire at Imola, with the C4 used because the medium compound and the C5 because the mushy.
This 12 months, the brand-new C6 is making its debut because the mushy compound, with the C5 because the medium and the C4 because the onerous. Pirelli made this change to try to introduce some new technique choices for this 12 months’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, drivers and groups haven’t discovered the C6 to their liking, with some believing that the size of a lap round Imola, notably throughout qualifying runs, sees the tires degrade close to the tip of the lap. That’s the reason throughout Saturday’s qualifying session, you noticed some groups, most notably Aston Martin, flip to the medium C5 compound for push laps. Aston Martin bolted that compound on each Fernando Alonso’s AMR25 in addition to Lance Stroll’s on the finish of Q2, with each drivers advancing into Q3.
They used that compound — with Alonso utilizing a scrubbed medium set — on the finish of Q3 as properly, together with Russell.
Commercial
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Director of Motorsport, gave his ideas on the C6 compound following Piastri’s pole place run on Saturday in his media report.
“This qualifying session must be analysed fastidiously when it comes to tire habits, because it produced many fascinating insights,” started Isola.
“Everybody was eager to see how the C6 would carry out in qualifying, evaluating it to the C5. From the preliminary information and listening to the fast feedback from the groups and drivers, we will say that the efficiency distinction between the 2 softest compounds within the 2025 vary is comparatively small, which is what was predicted.
“What we noticed right now, on a observe that didn’t evolve a lot in comparison with the primary two hours of free follow, was that it wasn’t straightforward for the drivers to extract the complete potential from the C6,” continued Isola. “Remember that this compound had by no means been run on the 2025 automobiles, and throughout the end-of-season check in Abu Dhabi, solely eight of right now’s 20 drivers tried it. So it’s doubtless that they should get to know it higher with a purpose to get probably the most out of it.
Commercial
“This meant that some drivers most well-liked to go along with the C5, a compound they know properly, provided that it was already the qualifying tyre for the earlier two races in Jeddah and Miami. They selected to sacrifice a little bit of grip in alternate for the lap time benefit that comes from the predictability of a tyre with which they’ve extra expertise and extra information,” concluded the Pirelli Director.
What are the technique choices?
Isola nonetheless believes {that a} one-stop strategy, beginning on the medium compound and switching to the hards, is probably the most viable possibility for groups and drivers.
“As for technique, the one-stop remains to be probably the most viable selection, particularly on a observe the place overtaking is slightly sophisticated, partially as a result of there is just one DRS zone and in addition as a result of that is the longest pit lane of the season when it comes to time misplaced throughout a pit cease. Clearly, the mix of Medium and Exhausting, with a cease between Laps 17 and 23, is the almost certainly,” outlined Isola.
Commercial
Drivers and groups might choose to start out on the onerous tire and lengthen a stint, staying out till round Laps 37 and 43, and hope for a security automobile to select up a straightforward pit cease. That might be the technique employed by the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who begin P11 and P12, respectively.
“Instead, some drivers may choose to go for an extended first stint, beginning on the Exhausting, within the hope of an eventual Security Automobile, by which case the change to Medium can be between laps 37 and 43,” added Isola.
Are there any offset methods obtainable?
May we see somebody roll the cube on a two-stopper?
Commercial
Isola believes such an strategy would put mentioned driver at a “drawback.” Whereas the time distinction between a medium-hard and a medium-hard-hard is just a few seconds in keeping with Isola, the mix of a single DRS zone coupled with the lengthy pit lane, in addition to the difficulties in overtaking, means a one-stop remains to be the favored strategy.
“A two-stop technique is just not out of the query when it comes to whole race time, however the components simply talked about imply it’s at an obstacle. For anybody making an attempt this, the most effective combos can be Medium-Exhausting-Exhausting,” added Isola.
What about beginning on a set of softs to try to decide up observe place? That was tried by each Alonso and Pierre Gasly final 12 months, the one drivers to start out on the C5 mushy compound. They lasted solely seven and eight laps, respectively, and neither driver completed within the factors.
What number of units of every compound do the drivers have obtainable?
Commercial
Whereas the medium tire is likely to be the favored compound, three of the drivers beginning inside the highest ten may have to make do with a scrubbed set of mediums tomorrow: Russell, Alonso, and Stroll.
Listed here are the units of tires obtainable for every driver within the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, in keeping with this diagram from F1:
As you possibly can see, Russell has one set of scrubbed C5 mediums left, whereas each Alonso and Stroll every have a pair of scrubbed mediums remaining.
Alonso and Stroll additionally simply have a scrubbed set of onerous tires left for tomorrow as properly, so Aston Martin is likely to be taking a look at a scrubbed Sunday in the case of tires.
