A high-degradation monitor with floor temperatures reaching almost 50C laid the foundations for a Spanish Grand Prix race the place tyre administration could be essential. The whole lot appeared set for a McLaren one-two end, and the one technique to spoil the papaya celebration was to behave aggressively and openly – simply as Purple Bull did with its surprising three-stop technique.
This was aimed primarily at countering one among McLaren’s largest strengths in Method 1: tyre administration over lengthy stints. That’s why Purple Bull noticed the three-stop, all-out assault strategy as the one viable choice to attempt to problem McLaren – and, certainly, at a sure level within the grand prix, it nearly seemed prefer it would possibly work. Virtually.
Purple Bull determined early on to pursue a extra aggressive tactic, particularly after Lando Norris confirmed he had the tempo to overhaul Verstappen on monitor – a stark distinction from a yr in the past, when the Brit’s hesitation in overtaking was one of many key components within the four-time world champion’s victory in 2024. It grew to become clear this time round that one thing completely different was wanted to place McLaren underneath strain.
“Given how the race was unfolding, we selected to make three stops. We made that call pretty early as a result of we noticed that in a direct battle it wouldn’t be attainable to counter the tempo and tyre-management benefit McLaren had,” stated Horner on the finish of the race.
Taking a look at current races, it is typically been obvious how Verstappen tries to maintain up with the McLarens early on, solely to finally haven’t any reply to the MCL39’s superior tyre administration. It was exactly this side Purple Bull centered on in constructing its technique, establishing an attacking race – made attainable additionally by the effectiveness of the mushy tyre in Barcelona, which proved to be the perfect compound of the weekend.
Which will sound counter-intuitive however the hardest compound, the C1, was nowhere: sliding far and wide as a result of it couldn’t discover mechanical grip, despite the fact that the floor right here is comparatively tough.
Purple Bull was attempting to assault on pure velocity versus tyre-management functionality, a chance right here as a result of the monitor structure theoretically favoured the RB21’s efficiency traits, with loads of lengthy, quick corners. Clearly, the three-stop strategy additionally got here with its downsides: primarily, the additional 22 seconds or so spent visiting the pits a 3rd time; secondly, site visitors, which at all times forces drivers to make use of their tyres greater than they’d like.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
On this entrance, through the second pitstop – when Verstappen switched to the medium tires – Purple Bull made a really good move, rigorously monitoring the hole to Lewis Hamilton to make sure Max would rejoin forward of him, whereas additionally attempting to push and prolong his stint. And that is precisely when the race obtained fascinating.
Within the early stints, McLaren was at all times maintaining a tally of how its rival was doing, with out ever actually feeling underneath menace. Nonetheless, when Verstappen switched to mediums and began pushing, closing in on the window for a possible undercut, the Woking pitwall needed to begin severely fascinated about learn how to defend its place.
“Once we noticed that Max was on a three-stop technique, we thought it wouldn’t be an issue, as a result of we had already overtaken him on monitor,” defined McLaren group principal Andrea Stella. “And we have been speculated to have an excellent tempo benefit.
“However the actuality is, he was quick. Once we switched to mediums, we have been pushing whereas controlling the tempo, however Max was gaining a lot quicker than we anticipated.
“At one level, we even informed our drivers they must push extra. And each of them responded with one thing like: ‘I’m unsure I’ve rather more tempo than this.’ At that time, we have been a bit of involved that the scenario is perhaps extra open than we had anticipated through the first stint.
“It may have change into difficult for us, as a result of we had Oscar and Lando separated by about 2.5 seconds or so. So if we had wanted to cowl Verstappen, it will have been a bit tough with the 2 of them that shut. However, fortunately, Oscar discovered fairly a little bit of tempo on the finish of the second stint.”
Certainly, Piastri’s tempo through the second stint, there’s a clear shift in velocity as soon as the group informed him to push: from lap 24 to lap 42, he averaged a 1m20.0s, however within the final six or seven laps of the stint – regardless of already having about 20 laps on these tyres – his common improved by almost half a second.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos by way of Getty Photos
That is clear signal McLaren’s automotive nonetheless had one thing in reserve. It’s evident the MCL39 couldn’t preserve that tempo for a whole stint however, when it actually mattered, Piastri confirmed there was nonetheless a transparent margin out there, unleashing the automotive’s true potential to carry off Verstappen’s cost.
However the place does this distinction in tempo come from? Already on Friday, there was speak of the MCL39 being considerably ‘weak’ on the entrance – and it is no shock that for a lot of the second stint, McLaren tried to not overstress the front-left tyre, significantly in Flip 3 and different high-speed corners.
When Piastri’s race engineer, Tom Stallard, informed there was room to push in Flip 3 – one of many key stress factors for the front-left – the total potential of the MCL39 got here to gentle, with Piastri rapidly dropping his lap occasions by a number of tenths. It was a crucial change of tempo, particularly for the reason that Australian had simply accomplished the lapping part.
Piastri, additionally benefiting from the benefit he had constructed over Norris within the first stint, managed his tires excellently through the early a part of the race’s second half, particularly preserving the front-left. It is no coincidence that Lando, who had pushed tougher within the earlier phases, didn’t present the identical shift in tempo and struggled with extra understeer in Flip 3 – a lot in order that he thought he was experiencing graining.
This typically happens when tyres are underneath excessive thermal stress and cornering masses, however it’s a phenomenon Pirelli has tried to dial out of the present compounds. It wasn’t an issue right here for anybody – it simply felt that technique to Norris as a result of his front-left was experiencing put on.
Whereas Piastri pulled away on the entrance, opening up the hole, the one between Verstappen and Norris stabilised, with Purple Bull attempting to play its last card: pitting early for the third cease to try an undercut and attempt to take the place on monitor – even when that meant doing extra laps on the identical compound. It was a transfer that McLaren instantly lined off by bringing in Norris.
After all, McLaren may do that as a result of it’s at the moment two towards one on the head of the sector – an issue Purple Bull additionally wants to deal with…
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Gianluca D’Alessandro
Method 1
Purple Bull Racing
McLaren
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