Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has outlined the preferable strategic options for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, believing a one-stop approach to be quickest.
Pirelli has brought the three softest compounds from its range – the Hypersoft, Ultrasoft and Supersoft – in order to cope with the demands posed by the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pirelli, assuming tyre degradation remains quite low, expects a Hypersoft-Supersoft strategy to be fastest, with drivers pitting on lap 15 of 70 for their sole stop.
An approach it labels ‘nearly as quick’ is to complete a 20-25 lap stint on Ultrasofts before discarding the rubber for a set of Supersofts.
Should tyre degradation increase then Pirelli reckons a two-stop strategy, running two 10-lap stints on Hypersoft before going to the end on Supersofts, becomes a viable option.
All four Ferrari and Mercedes drivers have opted to take on Ultrasoft tyres for the first stint of the race, having completed their quickest Q2 laps on the compound.
Red Bull – which has Max Verstappen third on the grid – have picked the Hypersofts for the opening stint, theoretically giving Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo an early pace advantage at the expense of tyre life.
The remainder of the top 10 – the Renault and Force India drivers – will also start on the new-for-2018 compound.
Those in the final five rows of the grid are free to choose the compound on which they will carry out the first stint of the 70-lap race.
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