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Verstappen has strategic advantage over McLaren

Verstappen has a strategic advantage over McLaren in Hungary

21 July at 12:45
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  • Tim Kraaij

Pirelli, as usual, has shared the possible strategies ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen seems to have an advantage over the McLarens with the tyres he still has available.

Pirelli presents four possible strategies for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which all include two pit stops. The first option is to start on mediums, then a hard tyre and finish on mediums again. The same strategy can also be done by finishing on a hard tyre. Pirelli also has two strategies with the soft tyre, but that does not seem an interesting option for the teams given the tyre wear at the Hungaroring.

Which strategy will Verstappen choose in Hungary?

With two new sets of mediums and one new set of hard ban at his disposal, Verstappen's strategy ahead of the Grand Prix seems already known. The McLarens seem to opt for the same strategy, but have fewer fresh sets left. McLaren only has a fresh set of mediums and also a used set of medium and used set of hard tyre.

Of the top teams, Mercedes is the odd one out. The Germans have only one fresh set of mediums left, and two fresh sets of hard tyre. Should the tyres wear faster than expected, Mercedes could be at an advantage. George Russell, like Sergio Perez, also has fresh sets of the soft tyre left due to early elimination in qualifying.