Tyre Strategies: Pirelli’s possible options for Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Pirelli has confirmed the possible tyre strategies ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a two-stop race being the preferred strategy, if the Brazilian event is dry. 

Feature image credit: By Courtesy of Pirelli

Qualifying threw a spanner in the works on Saturday with the heavy onset of rain, allowing McLaren’s Lando Norris to claim his fourth pole position of the year, and his first since the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, at the end of the European season. 

In the event that the race starts dry, or is dry enough for the slick tyres, Pirelli suggest that it could be a two stop race, with a one-stop being possible. However, if it turns wet, it could be a race of intermediate tyres, or a mix of both the inters and full-wets, if the weather permits. 

So, according to Pirelli what is the possible tyre strategies for the upcoming Sao Paulo Grand Prix?

Lando Norris claims dramatic wet pole for Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Tyre strategies 

According to the Italian tyre manufacturer, a two-stop race will be the way to go, with three possible options for the teams and drivers involved. 

The first option would see a soft-medium-soft option, with the soft runners pitting as early as lap 17-23, going onto the mediums until lap 42-48 for another set of softs until the end.

For the medium tyre starters, they would be expected to run until laps 23-29 before slapping on a set of the hard tyres until lap 50-56, going onto the soft tyres. It stands as Pirelli’s only strategy this weekend that uses all three dry-weather compounds.

The soft-tyre runners could also pit on lap 16-22, their earliest opportunity across all four strategies, going onto the hard compounds before pitting again on laps 44-50 for another set of soft compounds. 

Alternatively, the teams could opt for a one-stop, with that being possible in Brazil. Drivers on this strategy are expected to start on the mediums until laps 28-34, going onto the hard tyres until the end of the race.   

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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.