F1 | Portuguese GP, the strategies according to Pirelli for the race in Portimao

A great strategic variety is expected for the next Portuguese Grand Prix, the third round of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. Thanks to the choice of the top teams to start with the medium compound tires (C2), Pirelli expects a race divided into two "sections ”, with the leaders having the opportunity to extend the first stint and therefore to focus on a single stop strategy. However, the situation is different for those who will start on the soft tyres, given the "length" of the first stint it will be fundamental to get in line with their rivals.

The probable strategies in the Portuguese GP

The 66 laps of the Portuguese Grand Prix will most likely be played over a single stop, for two main reasons: firstly because here a lot of time is wasted in the pit lane in order to think of making a winning two-stop strategy, and secondly because wear and degradation are very low for all compounds. Given that the track is reasonably wide and offers plenty of overtaking opportunities (as demonstrated by last year's race), the tire choice should allow drivers to push hard and deliver a thrilling race. The low levels of wear and degradation should also generate a fairly large pit stop window, meaning teams will be able to adapt their strategies to take advantage of the best possible time to pit while maintaining track position. As always, the timing of the stops will also depend on track and air temperatures, which are likely to be similar to today, or perhaps slightly warmer.

To keep an eye on

* Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) took pole ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the two Red Bulls in third and fourth place. The Mercedes drivers were the only ones to choose P Zero Yellow medium tires for the final run in Q3, but both set their fastest times in the first run using Red Soft tyres.

* In Q2, the session that determines which tires the top 10 on the grid will use at the start, the majority of the drivers started with the medium while only six drivers started the session with the P Zero Red soft. In the end tomorrow there will be five drivers starting on medium tires in the top 10, including the top four: both Mercedes and Red Bull drivers as well as Charles Leclerc with Ferrari.

* Yesterday's gusts of wind persisted today, influencing the qualifying sessions and making the track slower at the end. The weather conditions were also similar to yesterday, with qualifying finishing with temperatures of 19 degrees air and 34 degrees asphalt.

Mario Isola, head of F1 and CarRacing at Pirelli

“Like last year, in Q3 the Mercedes drivers used the medium for the second run but this year they were unable to improve on the first run done with the soft. This highlights that we are likely to see different tactics tomorrow. A one-stop strategy is the most likely, but it is possible that teams have different options regarding the timing of the stop. Tomorrow the riders in the top 10 have evenly divided their preferences regarding the tires they will start with: those who start on medium will have more tactical flexibility but those on soft will not be particularly disadvantaged. Qualifying demonstrated that all three compounds are destined to play their part in tomorrow's race, and all will also be a viable option for the final stint, depending on individual run plans.”