Carlos Sainz will start the British Grand Prix from pole position after navigating the wet conditions, but uncertainty over the weather for race day could pose some risks in terms of strategies. Pirelli are expecting the quickest strategy to be a two-stop, which could involve a few different options. The manufacturer believes that the Medium compound is the best to start on, and that the optimum strategy would be to switch from this to the Hard tyre before following with the Medium. For those without a second set of Mediums available, an alternative option could be to run the Medium followed by the Hard and then the Soft, which could also be converted to a one-stop strategy. However, Pirelli warn that a one-stop – whilst possible with a switch from Medium to Hard – would be a challenge. As well as being dependent on which options the drivers have left in their allocations, the key factor affecting strategy choices is the weather. The race is expected to be dry, but the risk of rain falling during the afternoon remains. This could bring with it cooler temperatures, which in turn would favour the Soft compound.
Isola impressed with Intermediates in qualifying
Looking back at Saturday's damp qualifying, Pirelli boss Mario Isola was pleased to see the effectiveness of the Intermediate tyre in the conditions. "Even though the Intermediate tyre was not designed to cope with aquaplaning situations, it coped very well with the conditions today, allowing the drivers to reach nearly 300kph in wet conditions with comparatively long stints as the surface dried out," Isola explained. "This is a track that puts lots of energy through the tyres, allowing a dry line to emerge. "In the dry conditions of FP3, most drivers ran the Soft tyre, and we expect the Medium to be the main race tyre tomorrow if conditions are dry – which is not entirely certain – with a two-stopper being the best strategy."
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