Mercedes has a strategic disadvantage? Red Bull has faster tyres in Baku

F1 News

6 June 2021 at 10:44
Last update 6 June 2021 at 11:17
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  • GPblog.com

Strategy will be very important in Baku. Although there is a very long straight where overtaking is doable, on the rest of the circuit, there seem to be few places where you can overtake well. This weekend Pirelli brought softer tyres, so the Italian tyre supplier was aiming for a two-stop result in Azerbaijan.

Pirelli's expected race strategy, however, does not point towards a two-stopper. The Italians predict that a one-stop will be the fastest strategy. The entire top ten will start on the red tyre, so the teams don't seem to want to take any strategic risks. A one-stop, where the drivers start on the yellow tyre, is just as fast according to Pirelli.

Mercedes at a disadvantage?

The choice of tyres seems to be fixed for some teams. Mercedes only have sets of the hardest tyre left, a tyre they haven't driven on yet this weekend. Each team gets two sets of the hardest tyre at the start of the weekend. Red Bull Racing and Ferrari have a set of the yellow tyre, which is a lot faster than the white tyre.

Mercedes already used that tyre and they also have one less set of the softest tyre. Will Red Bull be able to use strategy to help Max Verstappen into the lead? Based on strategy there are plenty of opportunities for the Dutchman's team.