Back to the softest compounds in Austria

After drivers used the hardest compounds of Pirelli's five-compound tyre range at last weekend's Barcelona race, the Austrian Grand Prix will see the field run the three softest tyres at this weekend's Red Bull Ring round.

With the Spanish Grand Prix, the F1 field embarked on the European leg of the 2024 F1 season. This weekend will see teams and drivers race at Spielberg which plays host to the second round of the first triple-header of the season, the Austrian Grand Prix

When defining the tyre selection for a track, Pirelli takes a lot of factors into consideration. Regarding the Red Bull Ring, several unusual features make this a unique track on the championship calendar.

First of all, it boasts the lowest number of corners (10) and the shortest lap time, even if its 4.318 kilometre length make it the fifth shortest track. The circuit owned by Red Bull is second on the list of tracks with the biggest change in altitude, with a difference of 63.5 metres between its highest and lowest points, second only to the 102.2 metre change at Spa-Francorchamps.

Having brought its hardest compounds to Barcelona last weekend, Pirelli has chosen the three softest compounds from the 2024 range, namely the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft. It is not an unusual selection as the Milan-based tyre manufacturer brought the same trio of tyres for the previous race, as well.

The Spielberg track surface is quite old and therefore is highly abrasive, but the lateral forces exerted on the tyres are decidedly lower than the average for the season, resulting in very limited wear overall. Traction out of the slow corners and stability under braking are key contributors to being competitive at this track.

It is important to manage the tyres in such a way as to avoid overheating, especially if they run at high temperatures: those drivers who don’t manage to keep them cool enough could end up finding it difficult to fend off attacks from other cars, especially in the first and last sectors.

Therefore, another important factor will be the ambient temperature at a venue where the weather is often rather variable. For the past two editions of this race, the two-stop strategy proved quickest, running the Medium and Hard tyres and last year, no driver gambled on the Softs.

For the moment, it looks like that Friday and Saturday will be dry, but there is chance for rain for Sunday.