Rain threatens to fall on Montreal, where the possibility of a dry race still stands. In this scenario, Pirelli predicts a one-stop strategy, with all three compounds in play. On a track significantly cooler than in previous days, the priority will be not to push too hard in the first laps before the tires have reached temperature. For Russell and Antonelli, it will therefore be advisable not to get carried away by competitiveness, as explained to FormulaPassion by Simone Berra, Pirelli’s Chief Engineer.
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Towards the one-stop
If the rain does not arrive, it is unlikely to see a multi-stop race. Engineer Berra explains why: “Even without rain, we expect a one-stop race, we already knew that on the eve. Clearly, the compounds at this moment are quite conservative compared to the current level of car development. We are also harder than last year, which is why we expect it to be a one-stop race, but the most interesting thing is that all three compounds are usable.”
Pirelli has indeed found a very low level of degradation in the Sprint, where the C5 has proven to be fast and consistent: “Teams never want to risk the soft tire, but yesterday it worked well for those who used it, even if they were not exactly top teams, like Aston Martin and Cadillac. Teams always have a bit of this fear of using the C5, perhaps because they are stuck on the old specification, but we know that the current one has a wider usage window and is much closer to the C3 and C4 than in the past.”
The strategies on paper
Pirelli is convinced that the most popular choice will be the compromise one: “We expect teams to go for the safer option, that is to start on the medium and extend as much as possible. The medium can easily do even half the race without major issues. PThen it will be necessary to understand the best moment to fit the hard. The opposite strategy is also feasible, that is to start on the hard and then switch to the medium.”
If starting on the medium, the pit stop window would be around laps 21-27, while those who start on the hard should stop between laps 38 and 44. The third option, much more aggressive, cannot be excluded: “The solution of starting on the soft to then switch to the hard, instead, removes some strategic flexibility, but ensures a bit more grip at the start and with these cooler temperatures can help put more energy into the tires”. During the Sprint, in fact, the asphalt reached 30°C, while a few hours before the Grand Prix start the track is around 15°C. Starting on the soft, however, would force a stop between laps 17 and 23, limiting strategic flexibility in case of rain arrival.
The warning
Simone Berra reveals that the limiting factor for race pace will not be degradation: “From the point of view of thermal degradation there are no particular problems, except maybe with intermediates on a drying track. In that case, intermediates work in conditions not suitable for them and the rear must be protected. The rear is the axle to protect, more from the point of view of graining and cold tearing than degradation.” The cold tearing, in particular, is the phenomenon where the tire not yet at temperature tends to stretch and tear, advising caution in the early stages of the race.
“In the first laps, when maybe the tire is not yet fully at temperature, it will be necessary to be good at not sliding too much with the rear, because it risks generating graining phenomena. In that case, a lot of traction grip is lost and that is where the difference can be made. We also saw it during the Sprint: with the same car, the driver’s driving style influenced the tire condition.”
Russell and Antonelli will therefore have to be careful not to repeat what happened in the Sprint, when caught up in the internal fight they pushed too hard in the first laps, with the tires then paying the price. Berra concludes: “In a Sprint it is somewhat more feasible, because it is a much shorter race. In the long race, instead, it is necessary to have a broader vision. If I were in a team, I would prefer not to battle too much in the first laps, to then have an advantage when the tire is at temperature, works well and then I can exploit it to the maximum.”
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