Austrian Grand Prix: what are the possible race strategies?
28th June 2026Pirelli has confirmed the possible tyre strategies which the teams could look to use at the upcoming Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix.
Feature image credit: Pirelli
The teams and drivers will have to contend with 71 laps around the Red Bull Ring as they battle it out in the Austrian mountains, with temperatures expected to soar to ‘unseasonably’ high temperatures.
With such a quick lap time around what is a very power-sensitive circuit, a crucial tyre strategy could be the difference between winning and finishing on the podium.
With lap times close to a minute, the average pit stop loss hovers around 20 seconds for a stop, making any decision vital at the Austrian Grand Prix.
So, what are the tyre strategies for the upcoming race?
Tyre Strategies
According to Pirelli, the two-stop race will be the preferred strategy, with the fastest option being Medium-Hard-Hard.
Teams that select this will be expected to pit around laps 17-23 to swap their worn mediums for the hards, before slapping on a fresh set of hard tyres on laps 46-52.
There is another variation of this is to start on the mediums and pit on laps 18-24 for the hards. However, instead of putting back on another set of hards, the teams could opt to pit around lap 44-50 to put on a second set of mediums.
The third and final two-stop strategy includes all three tyre compounds, which gradually get harder as the race progresses. Pirelli claims the teams could use the softs up until lap 14-20, pit for the mediums and then pit again for the hards on lap 39-45.
Despite the two-stop strategy being the preferred method, there is an option for a three-stop, which includes a similar run soft-medium-hard, but opting to pit on laps 52-58 to revert back to the softs.
Race sets
Of the top six drivers on the grid, it looks like a two-stop option including the medium and hards would be the expected way to go as no one inside the top 10 has any spare soft tyres, unlike those in the bottom 12.
Meaning the Medium-Hard-Hard or Medium-Hard-Medium would be the preferred strategy.
However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could play it either way as the four-time world champion still has two sets of mediums and hards. At the same time, his teammate, Isack Hadjar, is similar to that of the two Racing Bulls with a set of hards and two sets of mediums.
The remaining top six drivers still have a set of mediums and two hard compounds.
Lower down, inside the bottom 12, they all have fresh sets of the available compounds left in their allocation, meaning they have freedom to change around their tyre strategy.
The Austrian Grand Prix will get underway at 3pm local time (2pm BST), with Mercedes’ George Russell set to start on pole position ahead of the two Ferraris.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Russell ‘did everything right’ after Verstappen crash in Austrian GP
- F1 Austrian GP: Antonelli tops both practice, reliability problems and rookies
- Mercedes given ‘reality check’ ahead of Austrian Grand Prix
- McLaren to bring ‘experimental rear wing’ to Austrian Grand Prix
- Austrian Grand Prix: F1 schedule and starting times
- Austrian Grand Prix: Latest weather forecast as heatwave soars temperatures
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
