Pirelli: Two-stopper fastest, Verstappen has best strategy over Mercedes

F1 News

9 May 2021 at 10:17
Last update 9 May 2021 at 11:19
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  • GPblog.com

The Spanish Grand Prix is known for always being a race where the drivers have to pit twice to change tyres. This allows the teams to play more with strategy and, as overtaking will be difficult on track, the teams will need to plan their pit stops carefully.

Each weekend Pirelli makes a prediction of which strategy will be used by the drivers. They also indicate which strategy will be the fastest and which will probably not be used. For the Spanish Grand Prix, the Italian tyre supplier expects a two-stop strategy to be the fastest, with the drivers starting on the softest tyre.

Plenty of opportunities for Red Bull

The strategy that is fastest after that also has the red tyre first. The difference is in the last stint, where Pirelli estimates that the drivers with an extra set of the red tyre will be faster. According to this, it would make Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen strategic favourites. The Dutchman's fast time in Q2 meant that Verstappen did not need to go out for a second run and therefore he has an extra set of new red tyres.

Mercedes in turn have an extra set of the yellow tyres, albeit used. All the drivers also have a set of the white hard tyre left, but Pirelli does not expect this to be used. If Pirelli have made the correct assessment, Red Bull will have the strategic advantage in Barcelona today.