P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The allocated tyre compounds for the Azerbaijan GP are creating a fascinating headache for the F1 paddock.
The unpredictable races in Baku are presenting a new challenge for Formula 1 teams this weekend due to Pirelli’s tyre selection of C4, C5, and C6 compounds.
Teams are rethinking their strategies as the super-soft C6 tyre has proven to be troublesome, requiring more laps to perform well and being slower compared to the more reliable C5 medium compound.
During free practice, most drivers treaded cautiously, focusing on preserving tyres for the weekend, with the medium compound showing competitive pace, as seen with Lewis Hamilton on softs and Charles Leclerc on mediums.
Teams like Ferrari and Red Bull gathered significant data on the softest compounds, while McLaren faced setbacks with both drivers hitting the wall, limiting their data collection.
Verstappen’s race engineer emphasized the need for detailed analysis before qualifying to navigate the unique tyre selection grid for a successful qualifying and race strategy, expecting a one-stop plan leveraging the medium to hard tyre transition.
