P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The Spanish Grand Prix will see a noteworthy departure from the norm – and Charles Leclerc has earned himself a substantial advantage.
The Spanish Grand Prix is expected to require most teams in the F1 paddock to make two pit stops, as there is a risk associated with the unknown factors of the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Traditionally, one-stop strategies have been common at this circuit, but due to concerns about the hard compound tires, teams are likely to opt for a two-stop strategy using two sets of soft tires and one set of medium ones. Some exceptions to this strategy include Charles Leclerc, Ollie Bearman, and Esteban Ocon, who only have two sets of medium tires available to them. This could give Leclerc an advantage starting from seventh place if tire wear is higher than expected. Pirelli’s Mario Isola explained the challenges teams face in Barcelona after qualifying, highlighting the issues with the hard compound tires and the anticipated one-second lap time difference compared to the medium tires. Teams may have to resort to using the hard compound if soft tire degradation is higher than expected in the two-stop race scenario.
