Formula 1 teams have loaded up on Pirelli's Soft tyres for next weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Sole tyre supplier Pirelli has nominated the Soft, Medium and Hard compound tyres in order to cope with the demands posed by the high-speed, newly-resurfaced Silverstone Circuit.
It marks the first time that the Hard tyre – which for this season has been painted an ‘ice blue’ – has been taken to a Grand Prix.
Teams, though, have all-but-abandoned the Hard tyre, instead loading up on the yellow-banded Soft compound.
Of the leading drivers, five of them will have eight sets of Softs from their weekend allocation of 13, with only Max Verstappen differing, opting for seven.
Both Ferrari drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen will have four sets of Mediums, with Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo opting for three, in order to have an additional Hard tyre.
Of the participants, Verstappen’s approach is the most conservative, with Renault and Toro Rosso going in the opposite direction, choosing 10 sets of Soft tyres for its representatives.
As usual, from the 13 sets allocated, one set of the Soft tyres must be set aside for use only in Q3, while either the Medium or Hard compound must be run should dry conditions prevail in race trim.
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