Strategies planned for the Austrian GP

The Mercedes W11 of the poleman Valtteri Bottas as well as Lewis Hamilton should be difficult to attack on a regular basis at the Austrian GP. The Silver Arrows showed clear dominance during qualifying at Spielberg.

Pirelli is considering two main strategies for the first Grand Prix of the season contested at the Red Bull Ring. Most points contenders should attempt a first stint on soft tires of between 24 and 28 laps and a second on hard tires of 43 to 47 laps.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull), closest to the Mercedes on the grid, nevertheless opted for a start on medium tires. The Italian manufacturer is planning a first stint of 27 to 32 laps on this relatively abrasive track and a second stint on hard tires of between 39 and 44 laps.

“Bottas’ pole time was the track record at the Red Bull Ring. This highlights the fact that the cars have evolved while the P Zero tires have remained the same as in 2019, commented Mario Isola, Pirelli's competition director. The most important strategic moment in qualifying was Verstappen's decision to start the race on medium tires, which will give him a flexible strategy, with a potentially longer first stint than his rivals. It could be decisive on the outcome of the race. »

“As expected on a short circuit with a tight peloton, we saw the soft tire mainly used from the start to the end of qualifying. Each team had to be sure to use the full potential of their cars with such small gaps. But all three compounds should have an important role to play in racing”, warned Mario Isola.

Pirelli is also considering alternative strategies with a first stint of 30 to 34 laps on soft tires and an end of the race on medium compounds. The choice of the two stops would seem to be less rapid.