Tyre evaluation following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix, GP Italy, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

Irrespective of the anticipations, the period-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix observed motorists finish the race length of fifty seven laps at the Yas Marina Circuit with a extensive assortment of various procedures. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó analyses the procedures from the Abu Dhabi F1 race.

Max Verstappen generated the most effective achievable end to what was the most effective period of any driver in the historical past of Method one. The Dutchman took his nineteenth earn from 22 races, bringing the triple globe champion’s full amount of victories to fifty four, which places him by itself in 3rd position on the all-time winners checklist. Verstappen is also the only driver to have protected far more than a single thousand laps, 1003 to be exact, in a solitary period and this 12 months, he is the only driver to have accomplished every single lap of all 22 Grands Prix.

Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola commented: “The race was an exact reflection of the period as a full, with Max Verstappen absolutely dominant, even though driving him a shut fight raged for every single position, with the hierarchy altering, often considerably, from race to race.

Forward of the fifty seven-lap Abu Dhabi F1 race, Method One’s sole tyre provider Pirelli predicted that the bulk of the subject would decide for a solitary-cease system primarily based on a restricted amount of extended operates on Friday.

Nonetheless, the Method two Attribute Race that normally exhibits symptoms of the tyre dress in and degradation that a F1 vehicle could create indicated on Sunday that a two-stopper could occur into perform in the period-closing F1 race. In fact, the opening levels of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix indicated that tyre dress in could perform a higher job than what experienced been predicted prior to the race.

The bulk of motorists opted to start off on the Medium tyre for the initial stint, with only Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, all setting up from a extended way back again, heading with the Difficult.

Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo created an early pit cease, but both equally conclusions had been enthusiastic by an exterior component. The Dane pitted early for new tyres thanks to a puncture even though the Australian arrived in following a suspected tear-off experienced received caught in the brake duct.

Most of the motorists boxed amongst twelve and seventeen, altering from the mediums to hards with the 2nd tyre transform obtaining been executed amongst Lap 31 and forty three. Of the motorists doing a two-cease system, most of the motorists opted for the medium-tough-tough allocation.

The only exception was Lance Stroll who begun the race on the tough compound, and boxed for the identical compound on Lap 22 prior to ending the race with a fifteen-lap stint on the yellow-banded medium rubber.

Curiously, both equally the Canadian and his staff-mate Fernando Alonso made use of two scrubbed sets of hards as Aston Martin felt that the C3 compound would carry out greater in the first levels of the stint if it experienced currently protected a solitary set up lap in observe.

In the finish, only a few motorists, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda, received to the chequered flag obtaining created just a solitary cease. The Finn ran two really equivalent size stints, even though the Japanese motorists stopped on lap 22, prior to placing in no less than 36 laps on a established of Hards and the Frenchman introduced his initial cease ahead to lap fifteen, which intended he went for forty three laps on the C3.

“As was typically forecast, the C3 compound was much and absent the most preferred, even though the C5 was only made use of by Sainz for a single lap, which he did not even finish, at the really finish of the race,” Isola ongoing.

“The big difference amongst the a single-cease and two-cease procedures was really modest in our pre-race simulations, but in the finish, practically everybody opted for the two-cease, largely for tactical factors provided that degradation was rather reduced. In reality, on a observe where by the undercut is constantly really efficient, it is very clear that when a driver begun the operate of pit stops, any other motorists battling with them experienced to do the identical to stay clear of becoming handed by any person exploiting new tyres and a very clear observe forward.

“This was observed not only among the leaders, but also in these even further back again, even though a handful of motorists tried using to go for a little something various, some heading for a a single-cease (Ocon, Tsunoda and Bottas), some, like Sainz, hoping for a Security Motor vehicle, other individuals heading for a lengthier 2nd stint, making an attempt to make the most of the big difference in grip ranges amongst new and made use of tyres in the closing levels, in individual Perez and Stroll. Verstappen, from his posture of superiority, reacted to the moves of his closest rivals in the initial stint and then waited for them to pit yet again, prior to earning his 2nd cease in excellent security.

“Graining was a component particularly for these who used a great deal of time in site visitors, but was much a lot less major for motorists who had been equipped to operate in thoroughly clean air and this used to both equally the Medium and Difficult.”

Ferrari’s strategic mistake

Ferrari opted for an bold system for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard unsuccessful to development into the 2nd qualifying session on Saturday, and begun the race from P16 on the grid. The Scuderia allow the Madrid-born driver start off on the tough compound. Whilst he created up two spots at the start off, he observed it tough to continue to keep up with Lance Stroll, who was on the identical compound in entrance if him, in the first levels of the race.

The Scuderia created a vital slip-up with Sainz as they allow the Spaniard out on observe on worn tyres. But far more crucially, the two-time F1 race winner was overtaken by Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell, the motorists, who experienced currently created their pit cease, and had been on considerably fresher tyres. As a final result of it, Sainz shed important time on these laps. He was overtaken into Change six, and could use DRS on the operate to Change nine, but he shed a large total of time in Sector three where by he was hindered by turbulent air.

Irrespective of obtaining shed important time throughout the overtaking manoeuvres, Ferrari could have saved Sainz’s system, but they remaining the Spaniard out on observe on closely worn tyres in a race in which the two-cease system was plainly the quicker method. Sainz was advised by his race engineer Riccardo Adami on staff radio that he necessary to remain out on the observe in the hope of a achievable security vehicle intervention. Nonetheless, the race finished without having any incident, the Spaniard necessary to box for a contemporary established of softs on Lap fifty six to fulfil the need of operating two various compounds in the race.