Possible tyre strategies for the Mexico City Grand Prix

Pirelli have confirmed the possible tyre strategies ahead of the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix, with both a one-stop and two-stop strategy potential options.

Feature image credit: By Courtesy of Pirelli

Ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Pirelli has confirmed the potential options for the teams and drivers to opt for ahead of the 71-lap race around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez.

According to F1’s sole tyre supplier, Pirelli suspect that the a variation of either one-stop or two-stop strategies will be possible in Mexico, providing two one-stop options and two two-stop strategies.

So, what are the possible strategies in play in Mexico?

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One-stoppers

For the one-stoppers, the favoured option – according to Pirelli – will be a medium-soft tyre strategy. Starting on the mediums, the drivers will race up to lap 35-41 before moving over to the red-walled soft compounds.

Alternatively, depending on their remaining race sets, teams could opt to run the softs for the race start – benefitting from its higher grip and faster speeds – before pitting early on laps 24-30 for the hard tyres until the end.

Two-stoppers

Both two stop strategies will require the drivers to start on the soft tyres, with strategies opening up the pit window from laps 19 to 25.

The first two-stop strategy stands in as a soft-medium-soft option, with the first stop coming in at the expected 19-25 lap window, going onto the mediums before pitting again on laps 45 to 51 to finish the race on the softs.

Alternatively, after coming in for their lap 19-25 pit window, drivers could move onto the hard tyres. Pirelli expects their window would reopen from laps 46 to 52, swapping their hard tyres for the soft componds.

Tyre sets

However, a one stop may be more likely to be expected, unless the teams use all three tyre compounds. This comes as most of the drivers still have at least one fresh set of soft, medium and hard tyres spare.

However, only Mercedes George Russell, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton have a set of medium and hard tyres – using all of their soft tyre sets through the weekend.

In turn, everyone still has a set of medium and hard compounds available.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso sits as an outlier in the tyre sets, sitting as the only driver to have one set of medium and hard tyres, and four sets of the soft compounds – the most of any driver.

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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.

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.