Isola: Changeable weather has made it difficult to choose tyres

During the race in Zandvoort, the drivers used all the tire compounds that Pirelli had brought to the Dutch circuit: hard, medium, soft, medium and rain. The head of the tire company’s racing department, Mario Isola, commented on the effectiveness of rubber on the track.

Mario Isola: “A very spectacular race, and the changeable weather made it difficult for the teams to choose tyres. Besides the literally colorful spectacle because the riders used tires in all five colors, two technical aspects of the last race can be distinguished.

As expected over the weekend, the cooler temperatures favored the use of soft tyres. This compound was clearly the best choice on dry terrain, but also looked good in the wet. This is evidenced by the fact that some drivers decided not to pit when it started to rain during the first few laps.

The least effective was the Hard compound, which was demonstrated by George Russell – had it not been for the rain, he would have tried to reach the finish line on these tyres, but it was clear that the Hard was not suited to such conditions.

The second point to be emphasized concerns the intermediate tyres. This composition again proved to be effective in a situation where there was little water on the track, and when there was a lot of water.

Finally, I would like to congratulate several people. Max Verstappen with his ninth victory in a row, the fans in Zandvoort with a great show in the stands and enthusiasm despite the bad weather.

I congratulate Fernando Alonso on his return to the podium. From the very beginning of the season he finished in the top three and at one point it seemed that he could even fight for victory. I congratulate Pierre Gasly on a great result.”