Pirelli’s forecast for strategy at the Chinese Grand Prix suggests that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of Red Bull might face challenges during the race.
Verstappen, who secured pole position in the qualifying session, marked his sixth consecutive pole and became the first driver since Mika Hakkinen in 1999 to achieve pole position in the first five races of a season.
Additionally, this pole position was significant as it marked Red Bull’s 100th pole, almost 15 years after Sebastian Vettel’s first pole in 2009.
Despite Verstappen’s stellar performance, Pirelli’s strategy forecast indicates potential difficulties for him and Perez during the race.
The forecast suggests a straightforward two-stop strategy for the 56-lap race, advising the field to start on the yellow C3 tyres and make the first pit stop between laps 14-20.
Subsequently, a switch to the hard C2 rubber is recommended before making a final switch back to another set of C3 tyres for the last stint leading to the finish line.
However, both Red Bull drivers have only one new set of medium tyres available, compared to two new sets of hard compound tyres.
This situation could pose a challenge for them during the race. Fernando Alonso, who starts in third position, poses a threat to Red Bull with two new sets of medium tyres at his disposal. Similarly, Charles Leclerc and George Russell also have two new sets of both hard and medium tyres.
Lewis Hamilton, starting from the 18th position on the grid, has an advantage with four new sets of soft tyres available, along with one new set each of medium and hard tyres. This tyre availability could potentially play a crucial role in his race strategy.
