Pirelli’s Chief Engineer Simone Berra noted that the tyre behaviour in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying session at the Miami International Autodrome “was quite unusual” and the Formula 1 tyre supplier would need to find answers as to why.
As permitted in the sporting regulations, drivers are mandated to use specific compounds across the three segments of Sprint Qualifying – medium rubber in SQ1 and SQ2, soft in SQ3.
Track temperatures on Friday soared above 45 degrees and an anomaly occurred across SQ2 and SQ3.
Lap times, which usually ramp up from session to session and as the clock winds down, didn’t do so during the denouement of SQ2 or in SQ3.
In fact, the fastest time on the medium rubber in SQ2, a 1:27.597 set by McLaren’s Lando Norris, was faster than Max Verstappen’s Sprint Pole time on the soft, a 1:27.641.
“Sprint Qualifying proved to be rather unusual,” said Berra.
“While the track continued to evolve significantly for the first half, as from the end of SQ2, it was clear the times were not coming down or were even getting slower.
“This phenomenon became even more marked in SQ3 when the usual improvement going from the Medium to Soft was negligible or at least not significant, while usually the step in terms of lap time is usually quite marked.
“We will have to study the data carefully over the next few hours to try and understand why.”
Slower times on softs than mediums is a potent ingredient that throws further uncertainty into the random cocktail that comprises an F1 Sprint weekend.
However, moving into Saturday’s Sprint, Berra has marked down the medium tyre as the ideal choice of compound for the short race.
“Clearly the Medium is the most suitable tyre to complete the 19 laps,” he said.
“However, I don’t feel able to rule out the Soft completely, as it could provide a significant grip advantage in the first few laps.
“However, with such a competitive field, maybe those starting further back might try to go this route especially to check its performance with an eye on its potential use in the first part of Sunday’s race.
“It could be a way of making up places off the line, before then managing the situation, perhaps holding position if a train of cars develops.”
The Sprint aside, if the peculiar tyre characteristics persist during Grand Prix Qualifying on Saturday afternoon, surprise results could be in store as drivers contest with the obtuse conditions.
Both Verstappen and Norris struggled for grip during elements of their SQ3 laps on Friday, elevating the Dutchman to pole and demoting Norris, who had topped SQ2, to a lowly ninth.
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