Pirelli racing division chief Mario Isola summarised the results of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix, in which Max Verstappen took pole, and outlined the optimal strategy for the race.
Mario Isola: “Another pole for Verstappen, who looks unbeatable at this circuit, especially on a fast lap, as this is the seventh time in a row that Max has set the fastest qualifying time at the Red Bull Ring.
It was hot today – the track temperature hovered around +50C. At the very least, the teams had the opportunity to test the Medium composition under such conditions and gather important information for the strategy.
According to our calculations, two pit stops will have to be made during the race with C3 and C4 compounds. It is clear that those who have already used the C3 compound will prefer Medium tires, while others will have more flexibility in choosing their strategy.
The one pit stop strategy is unrealistic, not so much because of tyre wear, but because of the loss of speed due to tyre degradation.
The three-stop strategy could work if the safety car comes onto the track in the second half of the race, or if the degradation is greater than expected. In this case, even the C5 team can take action, although it will not play the leading role.”
Source: F1 News

I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.