In recent weeks, the focus in Formula 1 has been on the C6 tyre compound’s lack of desired impact, but it won’t matter in the Austrian Grand Prix due to track conditions. Teams must optimize the hard and medium tyres, reserving the soft C5 for potential late safety car situations. Pirelli recommends a two-stop strategy for tire management, but some teams may try a single stop, influenced by available tyre sets.
Mario Isola highlighted the importance of managing rear overheating and balancing race pace with traction. Teams like Haas have different tyre sets than rivals, leading to varied strategies. Some teams may attempt a one-stop strategy, starting on medium and shifting to hard.
If opting for a one-stop strategy, teams face challenges due to increased tyre degradation in hotter race conditions. Isola hinted that a one-stop strategy could be around seven seconds slower than a two-stop. The most popular strategy may be medium, hard, medium, especially for top teams with respective tyre sets. Despite recommendations against using the soft tyre, Isola left room for teams to consider other approaches.
