Strategy guide for the Spanish Grand Prix

Based on Friday’s long-run simulation, Formula One’s sole tyre provider Pirelli expects drivers to choose for a two-stop technique for right now’s Spanish Grand Prix. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó reviews on the attainable race methods from the Barcelona observe.

Following the nail-biting qualifying session that noticed Max Verstappen clinch his fourth pole place of the season, groups are preparing for the 53rd Spanish Grand Prix, Round 7 of the 2023 F1 season.

Pirelli introduced the C1, C2 and C3 compounds to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya that normally places an enormous pressure on the tyres, therefore resulting in a chess recreation between groups’ strategists.

The 4.6km observe has modified for this 12 months with the sport reverting to the earlier format. This sooner observe configuration avoids the unfomfortable final chicane and makes use of the extraordinarily fast second-to-last bend. With the elimination of this slower part, the calls for have additionally barely shifted with the observe placing much more lateral forces than longitudinal compelled by way of the tyres.

The new configuration has barely modified the size of the observe with the whole race distance modified to 307.236km. Engineers have to stay to the minimal beginning pressures that are 20.psi for the rear tyres and 23.0 psi for the entrance tyres. The camber limits are -3.25° for the fronts and -1.75° for the rears.

While rain was anticipated for the begin of the race, the forecast has considerably modified. There aren’t any clouds at the moment at Montmelo the place the observe is situated with sunny and dry climate anticipated for the the rest of the day.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a observe the place tyre degradation normally serves as a deciding issue, forcing drivers to take care of their tyres to keep away from any issues towards the finish of their stints.

While Pirelli’s slick compounds have proved extraordinarily sturdy this 12 months, the Milan-based tyre provider expects the two-stop technique to result in the finest general race time.

The Italian tyre producer estimated that three variations of the two-stop technique are attainable for right now’s 53rd Spanish Grand Pirx with the soft-hard-hard mixture anticipated to the quickest.

A extra aggressive technique would see drivers begin the race on the mushy compound earlier than finishing a really lengthy center stint to then swap again to the red-walled mushy tyres.

Using all three compounds as a part of a two-stop technique can also be attainable. Should somebody choose for such a colourful technique, he ought to kick off his race on the red-banded C3 earlier than switching to the hards and ending the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix on the yellow-sided mediums.

A 3-stop technique just isn’t out of the window both ought to somebody get in visitors. With George Russell, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc all unable to progress into the all-important final qualifying session, it’s attainable for them to start out the race on the C3 softs, finishing a brief opening stint, switching then to the hards for a comparatively brief second stint earlier than finishing two brief stints on the softs.