The Qatar GP shocked each engineers and followers with the sudden sturdiness of the C2 Medium tire in the course of the first stint. Whereas this initially made the race considerably monotonous, the following punctures suffered by Sainz and Hamilton created a extremely unsure situation that stored us on edge till the end.
At this level, it’s tough to find out whether or not the punctures have been attributable to extreme tire put on or particles on the monitor. Pirelli’s motorsport director, Mario Isola, addressed the problem: “Through the race, each Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton skilled punctures on their entrance left tires. We are going to totally analyze the stays of these tires, in addition to a collection of others, following our commonplace process. Our technicians in Milan will even depend on telemetry information and onboard footage. We are going to perform the standard checks relating to the stress positioned on the tires.”
Technique Recap
The commonest technique was the Medium-Arduous mixture, utilized by race winner Verstappen, Leclerc, Piastri, Gasly, Sainz, Zhou, Norris, and Hamilton. Russell opted for a Medium-Arduous-Arduous technique, having pitted early and later switched to a brand new C1 set underneath the Security Automobile.
Alonso and Bottas selected Medium-Arduous-Medium, avoiding a stint on the C1 tire, with Alonso utilizing it for only one lap. Tsunoda and Lawson went with Medium-Arduous-Gentle, whereas Albon adopted Medium-Gentle-Gentle. Retirements included Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez (reportedly as a result of a hydraulic concern), Stroll, Colapinto, and Ocon.
Medium Tires Pushed to the Restrict
This evaluation focuses on understanding why drivers pushed the Medium tires to their limits. Whereas it’s not sure that tire put on brought on Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton’s punctures, it seems to have been a contributing issue, so it’s value exploring why this case arose.
Pirelli had initially estimated the primary pit cease to happen between laps 16 and 24. It was thought potential to increase this barely, however nobody anticipated stints of over 27-28 laps on the C2. The rationale for pushing past the anticipated restrict is simple.
An undercut was anticipated to be extremely efficient, however for it to work, drivers wanted clear monitor after rejoining. This didn’t occur after Russell’s pit cease, the place a gradual tire change on the rear proper price him about 5 further seconds (complete cease time: 7 seconds). He rejoined behind Alonso and, regardless of being sooner, was compelled to match Fernando’s tempo because of the issue of overtaking in Lusail. Seeing this, different drivers prevented pitting early to remain out of site visitors, stretching the C2 to its restrict.
Mario Isola partially echoed this evaluation: “The monitor could be very demanding by way of power exerted on the tires and tread put on. This mixture of things can create a scenario the place put on reaches vital ranges, with groups attempting to increase the primary stint as a lot as potential to maximise outcomes.”
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris pushed the compound to its restrict, however Max had the higher tempo. Simply earlier than the punctures for Sainz and Hamilton, Lando Norris’s Mediums have been starting to degrade, and he would have wanted to pit quickly anyway.
Fernando Alonso Confirms a One-Cease Race
The aftermath of Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton’s punctures is obvious: those that stayed on Hards with out switching to a brand new set of Mediums within the last levels made the fitting choice. Making an extra cease underneath such frequent Security Automobile intervals would have been counterproductive and value positions. Fernando Alonso, as an illustration, fell from being forward of Russell to ending behind Gasly and Sainz after his double cease.
Fernando and Aston Martin misjudged the Arduous tire’s potential. The C1 was one of the best compound for the ultimate stint. Lando Norris, for instance, set his quickest lap on the 56th lap with this compound, finishing 21 laps on it with a time of 1:22.384.
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