P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The Bahrain pre-season test will soon get underway – but there is a big variety between teams when it comes to one element of the outing.
McLaren has chosen to bring a significantly lower number of C3 compound tyre sets compared to other teams for the upcoming test in Bahrain.
As the reigning champions in both drivers’ and constructors’ standings from last year, the Woking-based team is making strategic decisions for the new season.
After the Barcelona shakedown, all teams have moved to Bahrain for two three-day tests with limited tyre options of C1, C2, and C3 only.
McLaren has focused on the softer C3 compound by bringing just eight sets, in contrast to Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari with 20, 18, and 20 sets respectively.
Additionally, McLaren has a heavier selection of the C2 tyre, bringing 14 sets to the Bahrain circuit this week.
Aston Martin is taking a similar approach with a majority of C2 tyres, while newcomer Cadillac has evenly spread its allocation across C1, C2, and C3 options.
