Pirelli happy with its calculations
F1’s tyre supplier Pirelli left Malaysia with delight after its calculations proved to be correct during the 56-lap long race which took place in scorching weather conditions. Low tyre degradations triggered unusually low number of pit stops.
Pirelli brought the trio of hard, medium and soft compounds to Malaysia as it expected the circuit characteristic and the hot ambient temperatures to put big stress on the tyres. However, every compound proved to be reliable and durable over the course of the weekend.
The Milan-based company nominated the hard compound as the compulsory set for the race which meant every driver had to complete at least one stint on the hardest compound of the whole range.
Pirelli thought that the two-stop strategy was the optimal way to approach the highly demanding race stint on the high-speed Sepang International circuit. That prediction was confirmed, however strategies were complicated by two virtual safety car periods.
“It was very close as to whether or not a two-stopper would be quicker than the three-stop strategy we predicted as theoretically fastest, so we saw a fascinating tactical battle between Mercedes and Red Bull, with Red Bull splitting their strategies to try and beat Mercedes. In the end, it was the virtual safety cars that influenced the strategy,” analysed Pirelli’s motorsport chief Paul Hembery.
Some drivers exploited the very low wear of the compounds and opted for a one-stopper.
“We also saw some different one-stop strategies all the way down the field, with some drivers starting on the hard and medium compound. This was all made possible by degradation being managed from start to finish despite the highest track temperatures we have seen all year,” concluded the Briton.
