Pirelli plots one-stop strategy for Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Teams will run a one-stop strategy and focus on tyre conservation in the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, according to Pirelli.
Max Verstappen on Saturday in Jeddah. (Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool)
Simulations from the Italian tyre manufacture show a combination of the yellow medium C3 tyre and white hard C2 tyre will be the quickest option available, providing minimal gains to the other two tyre combinations availble.
“From a strategy point of view, all the data collected so far this weekend confirms a one-stopper as being the quickest option, with only small differences between the three possible combinations,” said Mario Isola, head of motorsport at Pirelli.
The pit stop window is between laps 18 and 25 for teams on the medium-hard strategy, while the other two competitive options are soft-hard and medium-soft.
A soft-hard strategy will see teams pit between laps 12 and 20, while the medium-soft will see teams have to work hard to save the medium compound until the window between laps 27 and 34.
“This is also bearing in mind the high likelihood of neutralisations and possible stoppages, from what we have seen at the two previous grands prix held here to date,” said Isola, who added there may be a possible two-stop strategy with numerous stoppages.
Sergio Perez on track during Saturday running in Jeddah. (Pirelli)
A two-stop strategy in Jeddah would be soft-medium-soft, with stops between laps 10 and 15 and then laps 32 and 38.
The red soft C4 tyre proved to be at least half a second faster than the medium, while the medium and hard provided fairly similar lap times, meaning teams who two-stop will need to catch up around ten seconds to their rivals, proving dependant on a late-race stoppage.
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