Pirelli anticipates strategic chess game in Bahrain: 'Three-stop or one-stop possible'

Tyre supplier Pirelli look ahead to the Bahrain Grand Prix, the fourth race of the 2025 Formula 1 season, where a tough race is in store for both the drivers and the tyres.

Based on previous races, a three-stopper is even possible at the Bahrain International Circuit. However, will it be just a one-stop race instead?

F1 teams and drivers have a lot of information for the Bahrain GP this weekend due to the winter testing that took place in February, but that doesn't make the race strategy easy. Pirelli are almost certain that drivers won't get away with just one pit stop around the Bahrain International Circuit, with multiple pit stops even being on the cards for the drivers.

"If there is one race where a two-stopper is almost certain, it's Bahrain", reports Pirelli, looking ahead to the race weekend of April 11 to 13, 2025. The Italian tyre brand also refers to previous experiences on the circuit. "In 2024, all drivers made at least two stops. Some drivers even opted for a three-stopper."

From three stops to one stop in Bahrain?

Pirelli expects the softs and the hards to be the most used. In 2024, almost everyone chose the softest tires, except for Red Bull. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished on a harder tire. "Back then they still had the technical superiority", Pirelli reflects on the race a year earlier in Bahrain. Verstappen and Perez won the (then) opening round there convincingly with a one-two finish.

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However, Pirelli doesn't want to hold too tightly to last year's results. The certainty of a two-stop is somewhat diminished by the Italian company: "On Sunday, there are multiple options, with maybe even a one-stopper as a realistic scenario".

In short, the strategic possibilities are very extensive for the upcoming race weekend, which can increase the tension after a relatively calm race in Japan the previous week.

Ths article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder