Tyre and strategy insight
“In Sao Paulo all 4.309 kilometres [of the track surface] has been renewed, including the pit lane,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “The work was only recently completed and the asphalt was then thoroughly cleaned, using a high pressure water washing system that removes the sheen that usually appears on brand new bitumen and this has also increased the abrasiveness of the surface.
“Therefore, the track surface will be a completely unknown factor for drivers and teams this weekend. Complicating the puzzle still further is the fact Pirelli has chosen to bring a softer trio of compounds to Brazil than last year.
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“On top of that it’s a Sprint weekend, so that there is only free practice session for teams to find the best set-up, even if, as was seen in Austin, the “short” race in fact proved to be very useful to fine tune the balance of the car for the actual Grand Prix.
“At Interlagos, the lateral and longitudinal forces exerted on the tyres around the 15 corners of this anticlockwise track are medium to low in intensity and well distributed across both axles. Furthermore, the new track surface could see a lowering of lap times and, as a consequence, an increase of the stress to which the tyres are subjected.
“The Brazilian weekend usually provides spectacular action. The circuit named in honour of Jose Carlos Pace presents several overtaking opportunities, but other random factors, such as a high chance of a Safety Car and extremely changeable weather, make the outcome of the Grand Prix uncertain and hard to predict.
“Usually, the fastest strategy is a two-stop, favouring the use of the softer compounds. Last year, all bar one of the drivers chose to start on the softs, but a red flag after the start allowed for a switch to mediums before ending the race on another set of softs. This year, the fact the compounds are a step softer could open up a wider range of possible strategies, making the race even more exciting.”
FAN VIEW: A three-time winner here, it’s unsurprising that F1 Play gamers see Hamilton as a candidate to sneak a podium spot outside of Verstappen, Norris and the in-form Ferraris. Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren is also viewed as a real contender to finish in the top three.
