Spanish GP: Pirelli Qualifying Review

POSSIBLE RACE STRATEGIES
The 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix is likely to be a two-stopper, especially if it’s warm as was the case in qualifying today. This is down to the relatively high levels of tyre wear and degradation seen at the Barcelona circuit, with its abrasive asphalt and high-energy corners. Another reason is the fact that not so much time is lost in the pits, which makes a two-stopper much more viable, as well as the fact that the hard tyre is slower here. Overtaking can be tricky at Barcelona – one of the reasons why qualifying is so important – so race strategy has to prioritise track position above all. As usual, the exact strategy will also be influenced by track temperatures on race day, which are likely to be similar to those seen today.

MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF F1 AND CAR RACING
“Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton for his 100th pole position: a landmark achievement. Unlike Portugal, we didn’t see widespread use of the medium tyre in Q2, which means that the top 10 will all start on the soft tyre tomorrow. This indicates that the soft will form a key part of the race plan, with many drivers set to run a ‘sprint’ strategy that could take in two stints on the soft compound. That’s not to say that a one-stopper is impossible here with the right tyre management. Only some drivers have two sets of mediums available: either new or used. If the other drivers, without two sets of mediums, want to focus on a two-stop strategy, they have to use one set of medium and two sets of soft. Alternatively they can target a one-stopper, using the hard.”