For the first stint of the Dutch Grand Prix held last Sunday in Zandvoort, Max Verstappen obviously chose to use the set of new soft tires saved in Qualifying the day before thanks to a truly remarkable performance in Q2 with used tires, a very safe time trial that allowed the reigning world champion and leader of the standings to no longer have to take to the track in that session unlike his opponents direct who had to spend a set of new tires therefore no longer having any available for the race.
Ferrari in turn chose to start with the softer tires of the Pirelli range even if used, while Mercedes immediately diversified its strategy from its competitors using the medium – new compound – aiming for a one stop strategy which would most likely have been at least a double podium if the race had not recorded several unforeseen events in the final with a Virtual Safety Car followed by a Safety Car.
Inaki Rueda, head of Ferrari strategies, explained why the Scuderia di Maranello at a tactical level decided to start with soft tires: “We wanted to put pressure on Verstappen to see if he would give in in the first stint“Rueda said. A sort of replay of Austria therefore in the hopes of Ferrari, hopes that have not been corroborated by the test of the track. The Dutchman, in fact, with a new tire in the final stint inflicted a total of five seconds on Charles Leclerc who recorded a significant drop in performance in the final laps before the pit stop, already carried out by Carlos Sainz – not without problems – to avoid any undercut by competitors.
The tactician of the wall of the Prancing Horse then admitted that the competitiveness of Mercedes on the one-stop strategy surprised Ferrari: “The Mercedes with medium tires in the first stint was very fast and therefore we were preparing to try to respond in our third stint with the maximum possible difference in performance to make overtaking possible on the track. In any case, Mercedes’ one stop strategy was really effective ”.
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