Pirelli expects two pit stops

At the end of Saturday’s sprint, most riders’ tires were seriously worn. During Sunday’s race, the tire drivers will wait for two or three pit stops…

Mario IsolaPirelli: “The races at Interlagos are always very competitive, and this time it was the same, with a lot of overtaking actions – some of them were really spectacular.

On Saturday we learned a lot about tire performance. With temperatures around ten degrees warmer than the same session a year ago, you might have expected more even numbers when teams opted for Soft and Medium for the sprint, but in the end the numbers ended up being almost the same as in 2022. While the While Soft tires required more careful supervision from drivers, Medium tires also suffered more from degradation, which will require close attention.

The data collected during the sprint will be useful in determining strategy for Sunday’s race, when the weather will be much the same.

Obviously, two pit stops are the best option if you use the Soft and Medium compositions. On Saturday the Soft tires performed well even on quite long stretches of the race, so the key will be to find the right balance between the length of the racing sections and the order in which the compounds are used.

The three pit stop strategy should not be ruled out. In theory it’s not the fastest, but it could suit those who want to push the pace without worrying too much about saving tires on a track where they can overtake. We must not forget that trimming at Interlagos can be very effective.”