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Strategy was at
the forefront of the Spanish Grand Prix, with the final result remaining in
doubt right to the very end as the race protagonists adopted different
thinking in the timing and choice of tyre changes. In the end, Max
Verstappen became the youngest grand prix winner in history on his Red Bull
debut, finishing the race on a set of medium tyres that had completed 32
laps: one lap more than those on the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, who finished
second. Both Ferrari and Red Bull split their strategies: each team stopping
twice with one car and three times with the other.
All three compounds – hard, medium and soft – were used throughout the
66-lap grand prix, with a race-long battle between Red Bull and Ferrari,
while tyre management provided an essential key to success. Four drivers
were still in contention for the win all the way to the final lap, although
Daniel Ricciardo was affected by a slow puncture at the very end, probably
caused by debris.
The Formula One teams now remain in Barcelona for the first in-season test
of the year, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. A number of
teams will run young drivers, while the tyres used will be the usual 2016
compounds seen since the start of this year, chosen by each team for testing
purposes.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “This was a complex strategic
battle all the way to the very end, with the balance of power shifting
between Red Bull and Ferrari as the tactics evolved from lap to lap. The
result was a fascinating race that remained absolutely unpredictable all the
way to the chequered flag, making it one of the stand-out events of the
season. During the final 10 laps the drivers had to manage their tyres to be
sure of maintaining performance to the finish, adding yet another intriguing
dimension to the action. This is the sort of race we were hoping for with
our current range of compounds and the latest tyre regulations, so the
Spanish Grand Prix certainly delivered. We’ve seen Formula One history being
made today with the youngest winner ever in the sport, and we feel very
proud to play a part in that.”
Truthometer: We predicted a two-stop strategy as being the most likely
option, starting on soft, then switching to soft on lap 20 and medium on lap
40. Verstappen adopted a two-stop soft-medium-medium strategy, stopping
after laps 12 and 34. |
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