|
Mercedes driver
Nico Rosberg claimed victory from pole using a two-stop strategy in China:
one of the most action-packed and challenging races of the year. The
majority of drivers used a three-stop strategy: however there were a number
of different variations on this theme. Rosberg used a two-stop
soft-soft-medium strategy to win: the same as Felipe Massa, who finished
sixth for Williams.
A very different strategy was used by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who
climbed to seventh place behind Massa after starting from the back as a
result of a technical problem in qualifying, despite making five pit stops.
In total, 13 drivers used all three compounds available, in a strong
demonstration of how the latest regulations have shaken up the range of
tactics that are possible during a grand prix.
Paul Hembery Pirelli motorsport director: “Most teams came into the
Chinese Grand Prix, which we were delighted to sponsor this year, with not
as much dry running as they would like. As a result, their strategy
forecasts were made even harder, but Rosberg and Mercedes made exactly the
right calls after starting on the soft tyre: which just goes to show how
strategy really starts from before qualifying. Shanghai is one of the most
demanding circuits of the year, yet Rosberg’s win was achieved with just two
pit stops. Behind the winner a wide variety of different approaches were
used, underlining how
teams are using the 2016 three-compound choice to great effect”.
Truthometer: We predicted a three-stop strategy as being fastest,
starting on supersoft and then switching to soft on laps 11, 26 and 41.
Rosberg however started on the soft, so we thought that for him a
three-stopper changing to soft on laps 16 and 31, then supersoft from lap
46,could be interesting. In the end he stopped twice, for the soft on lap 16
and medium on lap 39. |
)
