Max Verstappen will be afforded plenty of overtaking opportunities at Spa-Francorchamps. However, tyre strategy will go some way to determining the outcome of the Belgian Grand Prix.
F1 tyre provider Pirelli has identified four main strategies for the field to use in the 44-lap race, which Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from pole.
Alongside him is the Red Bull of Sergio Perez, whose team-mate will hope to charge through from his penalty-defined P11 grid slot in order to minimise any potential damage to his drivers' championship lead.
Verstappen's main title rival, Lando Norris, will start from fifth, alongside Oscar Piastri, who may be employed as cover his McLaren team-mate - depending how quickly the Dutchman can dispatch of the back-end of the top 10.
It is likely that most of the pack will start the race on the yellow-walled medium Pirellis, but a soft tyre first stint approach has been outlined as well - something Verstappen may want to take advantage of.
That would allow the 26-year-old to make use of his two new medium-compound tyres in his final two stints, with all options laid out by Pirelli two-stop strategies.
The three-time world champion might opt to go off-book and start on the white-walled hard tyres - in order to make use of clean air whilst those ahead come in to pit.
All three of the medium-starting options make use of the hard compound, which may turn out to be the preferred race tyre, with the new track surface at Spa-Francorchamps causing higher-than-expected tyre degradation so far this weekend.
The advantage of running the soft-compound early in the race is that an early safety car could allow for a cheap pit stop - both Ferraris, McLarens and Mercedes drivers have two sets of hard compound tyres available to take them through to the chequered flag.
Pole-sitter Leclerc is well poised with two fresh sets of each compound - something that will allow him to be reactive throughout the race.
Rain is not forecast, so the the intermediate or wet compounds will not be seen. Nor will any of the field be caught out by changeable conditions.
Neither RB driver has a new set of hard tyres, so they could be at a disadvantage if degradation does turn out to be a challenge. Graining may also be a factor on account of the cool conditions seen all weekend.
Although not critical to success at Spa-Francorchamps, where there will be overtaking, the soft tyre will provide a considerable advantage off the line at the start, with a clear risk to beginning the race on the hard compound.
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