Max Verstappen will start Sunday's Miami Grand Prix from pole position, leading Ferrari's Charles Leclerc off the front row. The Dutchman is searching for his fifth win in the opening six rounds while Ferrari remain hopeful it can challenge Red Bull for the victory. As always, pit stops will play a crucial role in determining the final order at the chequered flag. So how could the strategies play out during the race?
Pirelli is defiant that a one-stop strategy is the most likely route that all teams are planning to adopt on Sunday. “As for strategy, there is little doubt that a one-stop is clearly the quickest option,” said the Italian marque's Head of F1 Mario Isola. “But it’s a different matter when it comes to the compounds and the order in which they will be used.” With the C2, C3 and C4 tyres available to the teams, all are seen as viable options to take at the start. Should a driver take the Hard (C2) compound, they can run deep into the race with the pit window spanning from lap 35 to 41 if they swap to the Medium (C3) or lap 38 to 44 if they opt for the Soft (C4) for the second stint. Using the Medium tyre for the start would allow the driver to pit between lap 15 and 21 for the Hard tyre to take them to the end. Starting on the Soft tyre would also see the driver switch to the Hard tyre for the second stint, with the pit window opening slightly earlier and running from lap 11 to 17.
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