Pirelli predicts two pit stops, but one is possible

Pirelli will bring the softest rubber compounds to Austria, ie. C3, C4 and C5 – the same tires were used by the teams in Canada.

Stage in Spielberg is the second this year, including sprint on Saturday, so qualifying will be held on Friday afternoon after a single practice session. And on Saturday the Sprint Shootout and the sprint itself will take place.

During the three short sessions that make up the shootout (they last 12, 10 and 8 minutes), the teams only have to put new tires on the cars: in the first two sessions it is Medium and in the final it is Soft.

Mario Isola, Head of Racing Programs at Pirelli: “The Red Bull Ring is a circuit where the tires are under constant pressure. The cars complete the 10-corner circle in just over a minute and the straights aren’t that long, meaning the tires are spinning non-stop most of the time.

The asphalt surface is quite old, which explains the rather high abrasiveness, but the adhesion at the beginning of the circle is also high. Efficient acceleration and deceleration are key elements, but you must work with the rubber in a way that prevents overheating.

Riders who do not properly cool the tires can find it difficult to fend off rivals’ attacks, especially in the first and third sectors of the circle. Air and track temperatures can also have a serious impact on this, despite the fact that weather conditions in Spielberg have historically been volatile.

Last year’s race actually consisted of two pit stops with medium and hard tyres, but this year it is possible to do a single pit stop if the level of relegation is not too high.”