A high-degradation monitor with floor temperatures reaching almost 50C laid the foundations for a race the place tyre administration can be essential. All the pieces appeared set for a one-two end, and the one method to spoil the papaya get together was to behave aggressively and openly – simply as Pink Bull did with its sudden three-stop technique.
This was aimed primarily at countering one in all McLaren’s greatest strengths: tyre administration over lengthy stints. That’s why Pink Bull noticed the three-stop, all-out assault method as the one viable choice to attempt to problem McLaren – and, certainly, at a sure level within the grand prix, it nearly regarded prefer it may work. Virtually.
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Pink Bull determined early on to pursue a extra aggressive tactic, particularly after confirmed he had the tempo to overhaul Verstappen on monitor – a stark distinction from a 12 months 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 totally different was wanted to place McLaren beneath stress.
“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 potential to counter the tempo and tyre-management benefit McLaren had,” stated Horner on the finish of the race.
current races, it is usually been obvious how Verstappen tries to maintain up with the McLarens early on, solely to ultimately haven’t any reply to the MCL39’s superior tyre administration. It was exactly this facet Pink Bull centered on in constructing its technique, establishing an attacking race – made potential additionally by the effectiveness of the delicate tyre in Barcelona, which proved to be the perfect compound of the weekend.
That 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, regardless that the floor right here is comparatively tough.
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Pink Bull was attempting to assault on pure velocity versus tyre-management functionality, a risk 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 method additionally got here with its downsides: primarily, the additional 22 seconds or so spent visiting the pits a 3rd time; secondly, visitors, which all the time forces drivers to make use of their tyres greater than they’d like.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull RacingAndy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
On this entrance, in the course of the second pitstop – when Verstappen switched to the medium tires – Pink Bull made a really good move, fastidiously monitoring the hole to to make sure Max would rejoin forward of him, whereas additionally attempting to push and lengthen his stint. And that is precisely when the race bought fascinating.
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Within the early stints, McLaren was all the time maintaining a tally of how its rival was doing, with out ever actually feeling beneath risk. Nevertheless, when Verstappen switched to mediums and began pushing, closing in on the window for a possible undercut, the Woking pitwall needed to begin critically fascinated by tips on 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 workforce principal Andrea Stella. “And we had been purported to have a very good tempo benefit.
“However the actuality is, he was quick. Once we switched to mediums, we had been pushing whereas controlling the tempo, however Max was gaining a lot sooner than we anticipated.
“At one level, we even advised our drivers they must push extra. And each of them responded with one thing like: ‘I’m undecided I’ve way more tempo than this.’ At that time, we had been a little bit involved that the scenario may be extra open than we had anticipated in the course of the first stint.
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“It may have turn 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, taking a look at Piastri’s tempo in the course of the second stint, there’s a clear shift in velocity as soon as the workforce advised 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
Oscar Piastri, McLarenSam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures through Getty Pictures
Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures through Getty Pictures
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That is clear signal McLaren’s automobile 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 accessible, unleashing the automobile’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, advised 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 mild, with Piastri rapidly dropping his lap instances by a number of tenths. It was a obligatory change of tempo, particularly because the Australian had simply accomplished the lapping section.
Piastri, additionally benefiting from the benefit he had constructed over Norris within the first stint, managed his tires excellently in the course of the early a part of the race’s second half, particularly preserving the front-left. It is no coincidence that Lando, who had pushed more durable 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.
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This usually happens when tyres are beneath 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 method 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 Pink Bull attempting to play its closing 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 Pink Bull additionally wants to deal with…
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