Difference between compounds and longer stints (Pirelli data)
Top 50 strategies laps of the Saudi Arabian GP (Pirelli data)
The 50 laps of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix should be at a halt. The fastest strategy should be to switch from Medium to Hard, which is the one that most of the drivers seem destined to select, as can also be seen from the fact that almost everyone in the Top-10 has chosen to overcome Q2 with the mix medium.
Starting with the Medium offers more options as it leaves the door open for one or two stops and also allows riders to perform a relatively long first stint, with a wider window for the pit stop. Alternative is a Soft to Hard strategy, which is just as fast on paper but may require a little more handling, depending on the car.
The two-stop is much slower, but the fastest should be the one that involves the use of all compounds: a stint on the Medium, followed by one on the Hard and the last on the Soft. However, it might not be that simple. Given that Jeddah is a brand new circuit, there are still a number of unknowns to consider: and one of them could be the high probability of a Safety Car, as is the case with any street circuit with few escape routes. In this case, the possibility of a “free” pit stop could arise.
“As this is the second longest lap of the season, the teams and drivers had a rather limited number of opportunities to prepare for their fastest lap. – has explained Mario Isola, Car Racing Manager of Pirelli – The Medium was preferred by almost everyone in Q2 and Lando Norris will be the only rider to start with the Soft in the Top-10. It will be interesting to see what he manages to do, surrounded by so many cars starting on medium. The two fastest strategies on paper are Medium to Hard or Soft to Hard, but the latter requires a little more careful handling. So we expect most drivers to be aiming for a stop, but there are many unknowns that could affect the strategy. Despite the length of the lap, the gaps between the riders were incredibly close, with the leaders within a few tenths of a second.“.
Set of tires available for the race (Pirelli data)
Forecast for the race (120: 30 local time)
8:30 pm: mostly clear, 28 ° C, wind 3 km / h SSE, 3% probability of rain
9:30 pm: mostly clear, 28 ° C, wind 3 km / h SSE, 4% probability of rain
Television programming in Italy
Direct Sky Sport F1: 16:55 Paddock Live, 18:25 GP Saudi Arabia, 20:25 Paddock Live
Deferred TV8: 17:55 Pre-race, 19:25 Saudi Arabian GP
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