A two-stop strategy will be the fastest for the 56-lap United States Grand Prix due to high tyre degradation expected, according to Pirelli. Drivers are advised to use only the Medium tyres and the Hard tyre, owing to the high degree of degradation on the soft. The optimal strategy will be to do one stint on the medium, followed by a stint on the Hard, then switching back to the Mediums till the end of the race. There is also a possibility of running a Medium-Hard-Hard strategy. A three-stopper is also possible by running a Medium-Hard-Medium strategy then switching to the Soft at the end. This could be a consideration for some drivers starting at the back of the grid, especially considering that there is a short pit lane time loss in Austin and plenty of possibilities to overtake.
Verstappen's strategy edge over Sainz
Only Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez have two sets of new Mediums left, with Leclerc likely to make use of that tyre the most coming from 12th on the grid. Polesitter Carlos Sainz has a set of Mediums left along with two sets of new Hard tyres, much like the rest of those starting in the top ten. Intriguingly, Sainz also has a set of new Softs left which could benefit him should he elect to switch to a three-stop later on in the race. Esteban Ocon, who starts from the pit lane after changing power unit components under Parc Ferme, also has two sets of Soft tyres available along with two new Hards and a set of Mediums.
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