Pirelli expects one pit stop in tomorrow’s race

In practice, the drivers hardly worked with the hardest Hard tires, but Pirelli thinks that this compound will play an important role in the race…

Mario Isola: “The qualifications were spectacular and exciting. The battle was even, the teams surprised from the beginning to the end of the session. It was predictable: the track remained dirty and became faster with every lap. This aspect, combined with the tire preparation phase for the fastest lap, played an important role in determining the results.

In terms of strategy, on paper the one-stop option is clearly the fastest, with Medium and Hard being the obvious choice for distance. It is true that no one used C3 this weekend, but this composition is very well known among the teams and was widely used in Las Vegas last year. It is no coincidence that all drivers have left two sets of C3 for tomorrow’s race: one they will certainly use, and the second will be left as a spare in case the race is stopped, which is quite possible on street circuits.

Just like last year, most riders will start on Medium and switch to Hard around lap 14. Those who prefer a more cautious approach, especially if starting from the back, can choose Hard for the first segment and then switch to Medium. It’s hard to imagine anyone using soft tires except those who plan two pit stops at a time to maximize the potential of hard tires on an open track.

Especially in the initial phase, granulation is very possible, also because the condition of the highway will change again, because it will be open to city traffic.”