Pirelli expects Formula One teams to adopt at least a two-stop tyre strategy for the upcoming race, following track temperatures that soared to around 50°C during qualifying sessions.
The prediction is based on teams' selections that heavily preserved hard compound tyres, ensuring optimal options for the main event.
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Optimal Strategy: Medium-Hard-Hard
According to Dario Marrafuschi, Pirelli's head of motorsport, the best theoretical strategy is medium-hard-hard.
Teams have saved the hard tyres, likely intending to use them as an option during the race.
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Marrafuschi stated that a two-stop approach with medium-hard-hard could involve a first stop between laps 15 and 21, and a second between laps 38 and 44.
Alternative strategies may include a three-stop plan, which could benefit drivers like Max Verstappen, who starts fifth on the grid, by providing a speed advantage.
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However, an aggressive three-stop strategy increases the risk of overheating soft tyres during late-race overtaking maneuvers.
