Pirellis Motorsport Director Mario Isola has explained the strategic considerations for the Grand Prize of the Netherlands in Zandvoort in detail. According to the training sessions, there is a lot of indication that despite the increased pituitary speed of 80 km/h, a single -powder strategy could be the more realistic option.
“On paper, a one-time strategy is not the fastest variant, medium-hard-hard would be faster, but the one-off variant is possible in view of the difficulty,” explains Isola.
It is not just about speed, but also about flexibility: a 40 percent rain risk in the morning is forecast for the race day, and the teams want to be prepared if the conditions change.
“A one-time strategy protects the track position and gives options if the conditions are shifted or an additional stint is necessary,” Isola continues. The fact that McLaren and Aston Martin each have two sets of hard tires in each other enable the teams to add additional tactical scope.
A change from medium to hard is not only a theoretical option, but can bring additional advantages in combination with a soft tire at the end of the race.
Soft tires, contrary to expectations, resilient
The soft tires are particularly interesting. “The teams originally counted with significantly higher wear, but the feedback was surprisingly positive,” explains Isola. Unlike expected, the soft tires are not only suitable for a quick round, but could also be used in a controlled manner. “It is not just a question of wear, but above all how to control the wear management that determines the stint length.”
The cooler weather compared to the previous year plays a major role. The lower temperatures enable better control of the thermal wear on the rear tires. “The main thing here is to manage the thermal strain on the rear tires. If you can do it, longer stints can be driven,” explains Isola. This could be a decisive advantage, especially in Zandvoort, where overtaking maneuvers are difficult.
Graining, route conditions and track evolution
Another factor that influences the strategy is the route surface. Rainfalls in the past few days have washed sand out of the curves on the route, especially in the banking sections such as curve three and the last curve.
This affects the grip and can favor graining on the tires. “When water and sand come together, the grip is lower than on other routes. This can create graining, but the mechanical resilience of the tires is good. We have observed it closely,” says Isola.
In addition, the route development according to the training sessions is an important aspect: “We have seen a significant progress of the route, and a reset due to the rain this night could change the conditions again.” Teams must therefore react flexibly to the changing route, both when choosing the tire and in strategy planning.
Wog crossing speed and tactical considerations
The increased speed in the pit lane at 80 km/h influences the marginality between one-time and two-stop strategy, but according to Isola only plays a subordinate role: “The difference between a two- and a single-doubles is more defined by tire management than by the pituitary period.” However, the pit stop delta has reduced by two seconds from 21 to 19 seconds.
The possibility of using two hard tires in a two -stop race is still given, but overtaking maneuvers remain difficult in Zandvoort. “All teams adapt their strategy in the starting position, racing situation and route conditions. We can only provide an average for all teams to give an idea of the most likely strategy,” explains Isola.