Single-stop strategy might be the quickest approach in a dry Suzuka race, suggests Pirelli
Formula One's sole tyre manufacturer Pirelli has suggested that teams and drivers will build their approach around a single-stop strategy at today's Japanese Grand Prix if the race takes place in dry conditions.
Max Verstappen was struggling for outright pace across the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday morning, but he managed to turn his fortunes around for the all-important qualifying session.
Following Friday's practice day, the reigning champion made a series of changes to his RB21, including tweaks to the weight distribution, aerodynamic balance, suspension setup, which has allowed him to take on the fight against the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The Dutchman delivered a brilliant lap in the closing stages of qualifying, posting a record-breaking time of 1m26.983s tp beat Norris and Piastri by 12 and 44 thousands of a second.
Reflecting on today's qualifying session, Pirelli's motorsport director Mario Isola noted: “Once again we witnessed a qualifying session that was exciting from the beginning, all the way to the chequered flag and beyond, with pole position changing hands three times in the final minute, ending with the top three within 44 thousandths of a second.
As for the tyres, all three compounds were used in the third free practice session. The five drivers who did not use the Hard yesterday - Verstappen, Tsunoda, Norris, Ocon and Bearman – did so today, although the McLaren driver only did a single scrubbing-in lap.
In qualifying the only splash of yellow in an otherwise totally red picture in the context of tyre use, was down to Lewis Hamilton who opted for the Medium for his first run in Q1. Today’s pole time is 1”214 faster than that set by Verstappen last year.
The weather is currently uncertain, with the forecast for rain definitely expected in the morning, with the possibility of it also falling from 2pm onwards. However, if the races takes place in dry conditions, Pirelli estimates that the one-stop strategy will be the quickest way to complete the race distance in Suzuka.
"If it’s dry, then various strategies are possible. Firstly, it’s worth underlining that all three compounds can have a part to play. The Soft, which has even offered a good level of performance beyond one flying lap could on paper be used by those looking to do a one-stop and those opting for a two-stop.
“The data from the weekend has tipped the scales marginally towards a one-stop strategy, with the fastest option being one set of Medium and one of Hard. Simulation suggests the two-stop is not that far off, with all combinations possible, whether using two or all three compounds.
"The rain could play an important role, even if it does not fall during the race. In fact, depending on its strength, track conditions could revert to those seen yesterday morning, before the cars had starting running. That could make graining more likely and therefore the choice could swing back towards a two-stop. As you can see, there are so many variables in play, ensuring unpredictability and a great show," concluded Isola.
