How Pirelli’s F1 tyre compounds made the difference in Barcelona

Max Verstappen celebrates victory with the podium (Photo: Pirelli)

Pirelli’s new 18” Formula 1 tyres faced “one of the biggest tests” of their inaugural season in Spain as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen used a three-stop strategy to win and gain the championship lead. He alternated between the P Zero Red soft tyre, with which he started the race, and the P Zero Yellow medium, on which he finished it, handling a high-energy circuit and high temperatures with relatively high degradation. His team mate Sergio Perez and Mercedes driver George Russell, who also finished on the podium, both used a different three-stop strategy: soft-medium-medium-soft.

Everyone chose to start on the P Zero Red soft tyre, with the exception of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who selected the P Zero Yellow medium. Having dropped to the back of the field following contact on the opening lap, Hamilton climbed back to fourth overall thanks to a three-stop strategy – with his first stop after lap one, making it effectively a two-stopper. Valtteri Bottas was the highest-placed actual two-stopper, in P6. Just four of the finishers stopped twice, with three different strategies in play.

Ambient and track temperatures were the highest they had been all weekend today, peaking at 51 degrees centigrade on track. Despite these punishing conditions, the drivers favoured the soft and medium compounds.

“This was certainly one of the biggest tests that our new 18-inch tyres have faced all year,” Mario Isola, Pirelli motorsport director thanks to a high-energy circuit with big degradation expected and track temperatures that exceeded 50 degrees centigrade. We can say now that they coped with the challenge very well, and what makes their performance even more impressive is that the drivers concentrated on just the softer tyres nominated here. In particular, the soft tyre was a revelation, with nearly all the drivers choosing it for the start and many of them running the soft for the bulk of the race. There was a wide variety of strategies seen throughout the field, with drivers willing to push the limits and target three stops, adding to the spectacle of an extremely hard-fought race: also because these cars make it easier to overtake. Congratulations to Red Bull for a decisive one-two; now we move on to a very different challenge in Monaco next weekend.”

(Source: Pirelli)

Compounds

Pirelli explained how each compound performed during the Spanish grand prix:

• Hard C1: The hardest tyre in the range was considered to be too slow compared to the other options today. Only Haas driver Kevin Magnussen used it, for a long final stint. However, comparing his times to equivalent cars on the medium tyre, the lap times were actually not dissimilar.
• Medium C2: The key compound to this race, capable of completing long stints without compromising performance. However, Hamilton was the only driver to choose it for the start.
• Soft C3: The revelation of the race, which offered a strong resistance to the high energy and thermal demands of Barcelona today while delivering a notable pace advantage. The soft also claimed fastest lap in the hands of Perez.