Pirelli: Hembery, "the tires performed according to our expectations"

Pirelli – The safety car, which intervened immediately after the start of the Austrian Grand Prix, pushed most drivers to opt for a one-stop strategy. The first laps at low speed behind the safety car were decisive for this choice, when the cars, heavy due to the fuel load, did not stress the tyres.

Despite a few drops of rain that fell during the day, the race took place in dry conditions, with air temperatures between 16 and 18°C ​​and asphalt temperatures between 24 and 27°C.

All the drivers, with the exception of Pastor Maldonado, Sergio Perez, Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo, started on the P Zero Red supersoft tyres, which on Friday and Saturday were around 0,7 seconds per lap faster than the P Zero Yellow soft tyres. However, the drivers who started from the back due to the sanctions chose alternative strategies with long stints to try to improve their position.

Daniel Ricciardo completed 50 laps of the race on the new soft tyres, managing to get into the points despite starting from 18th position. Jenson Button tried a different strategy by starting with the supersofts and switching to the softs on the third lap: the retirement, however, did not allow him to reap the benefits of the alternative choice.

Nico Rosberg won the race ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Both riders used the same strategy, supersoft-soft, stopping in 33rd and 35th respectively.

The teams will now remain in Austria for the last tests of the season, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unlike last season, there will be no specific tests dedicated to Pirelli tyres.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: “We predicted that a one-stop strategy would be the most likely here. With the entry of the safety car, all doubts were dispelled. Despite the cool temperatures, the tires performed according to our expectations."