The Spanish Grand Prix, and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, make for an enchanting mixture in terms of considering tire methods.
As famous by Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Director of Motorsport, the circuit is a “extreme take a look at for automotive and tire efficiency,” and it’s a race that places “vital stress” on the tires. As such Pirelli brings the toughest compounds of their vary to this circuit — the C1 because the exhausting, the C2 because the medium, and the C3 because the delicate.
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Nevertheless, whilst you would possibly assume that places the C1 on the desk, historical past tells us that Sunday’s Formulation 1 Spanish Grand Prix is likely to be a delicate and medium affair. “A two-stop technique is nearly compulsory, and I reckon the Medium and Mushy compounds will see a lot of the motion,” added Isola on Saturday. “We noticed [Friday] that the Laborious tire tends to slip an excessive amount of and the lap instances in comparison with these on the softer compounds replicate that.”
On condition that, what are the technique choices for the Spanish Grand Prix?
What occurred within the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix?
Final yr the highest three finishers had been Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton.
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All three used a two-stop technique, and all three ran a mix of soft-medium-soft.
How they bought there, nonetheless, was quite completely different.
Hamilton was the primary to pit, as he got here in on Lap 16 for a set of medium tires. Verstappen adopted him on Lap 17, making the identical swap. Norris, nonetheless, went lengthy, not stopping till Lap 23. Hamilton pitted on Lap 43 for a set of softs that he used till the tip, and once more Verstappen adopted him a lap later to make the identical swap.
Norris ran on that set of mediums till Lap 47, when he got here in for his set of softs for his ultimate stint.
A number of drivers who completed within the factors opted for a two-stop technique, albeit with a distinct compound mixture. The very best finisher on this group was George Russell, who began on a set of softs and pitted on Lap 15, switching to mediums. When he got here in once more on Lap 36, Mercedes bolted on a set of exhausting tires, which he noticed by way of till the tip. Carlos Sainz Jr., Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon all used that very same soft-medium-hard method to complete within the factors.
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The one true off-set technique within the factors final yr got here from Sergio Pérez. He began outdoors the factors in P11 and employed a three-stop technique — working soft-soft-medium-soft — to climb into the highest ten. He stopped first on Lap 13, then once more on Lap 31, and eventually on Lap 49.
What are the choices obtainable this yr?
This yr Pirelli once more favors the two-stop method, with a mix of softs and mediums.
“On paper, the Mushy-Medium-Mushy technique is quickest, as was the case final yr,” mentioned Isola in Pirelli’s Saturday media report.
“For these beginning on Softs to take advantage of the additional grip early on, with some drivers having new units of the C3, the primary stint ought to prolong to at the very least Lap 12,” added Isola. “Then, primarily based on simulations, they’ll goal to stretch the second stint to round Lap 40, ending with a ultimate Mushy stint. With a lighter automotive, that final set ought to be sufficient to get to Lap 66. Drivers aiming for a extra balanced race and planning to make use of the second set of Mediums will possible cease a couple of laps earlier. It’s additionally value noting that undercuts are significantly highly effective on this monitor.”
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Talking of that undercut, that might open the door to a soft-medium-hard technique. As famous on this graphic from F1.com, drivers may begin on the C3 delicate tire, run till round Lap 10 and pit on the sooner aspect for a set of mediums, run till Lap 32 and once more pit forward of these drivers on the medium, and utilizing the favored soft-medium-soft method, and use a set of hards to run till the tip:
This may be the method if the delicate tire suffers extra degradation than anticipated within the Grand Prix.
What are some off-set methods groups may strive?
If a driver wished to roll the cube on a one-stop, they’re definitely welcome to take action, however the degradation is more likely to shut the door on such an effort.
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To at the very least give a driver an opportunity at a one-stop, they may begin on a set of mediums, go lengthy on these, after which bolt on a set of hards to try to make it till the tip. In the end, nonetheless, the degradation points would possible be an excessive amount of. On this state of affairs drivers that begin out medium-hard may hope for Security Automobile intervention — which has occurred 38% of the time within the Spanish Grand Prix since 2017 — and failing such intervention, pit late for a set of softs for an all-out dash to the checkered flag, coming in round Lap 50.
Then there’s the three-stop method utilized by Pérez final yr. Pirelli nonetheless believes that such a technique is “too sluggish,” however drivers in the back of the grid with a number of recent units of the C3 delicate tire would possibly at the very least think about that method.
What number of tires does every driver have obtainable?
If you happen to wished a way of the place groups is likely to be leaning for this race, you bought it close to the tip of Q3.
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After pumping in a lap that put him in P4 provisionally, Charles Leclerc climbed out of his SF-25 and handed on a ultimate try to enhance his place. He ended up sliding down the grid and can begin seventh, however the workforce wished to protect choices for Sunday.
“From the beginning of the weekend, we made a strategic determination with Charles to prioritize the race, selecting to maintain two units of Medium tires and right now we additionally opted to maintain one set of Softs for the race that had solely carried out an out-in lap, so we determined to sacrifice some efficiency in qualifying,” mentioned Ferrari Staff Principal Frederic Vasseur after qualifying.
“I knew it might be a tough qualifying,” added Leclerc. “We solely had 4 new units of Softs for this qualifying session in comparison with others who had 5, however we made that selection and I believe we will put up combat ranging from P7 tomorrow. Our race tempo seems to be good and we have now a distinct number of tires obtainable to us in comparison with these beginning round us, so we are going to see if our determination pays off.”
Isola additionally famous which drivers have comparable tire mixtures obtainable.
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“Three drivers, Ferrari’s Leclerc and the Haas drivers Ocon and Bearman, have saved two units of Mediums, clearly aiming to make use of them within the race,” described Isola.
Listed here are the tire mixtures every driver has obtainable on Sunday:
Drivers with a number of units of recent softs — corresponding to Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz Jr., Franco Colapinto, and Yuki Tsunoda — may think about the three-stop method with a number of units of recent C3 tires, as Pérez used final yr.
