The season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix turned out to be a reasonably standard race when it comes to technique with a lot of the drivers opting to finish the 57-lap race with a two-stop technique. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó delivers his tyre analaysis following the Manama F1 race.
System One’s sole tyre provider Pirelli introduced the three hardest compounds of its five-compound vary to the season-opener in Manama. It meant that the C1 compound served because the Onerous tyre, the C2 because the medium and the C3 because the smooth rubber.
Pre-season testing and Thursday’s follow periods indicated that the red-walled tyre might emerge as a viable race tyre based mostly on its comparatively low degradation. It grew to become additionally obvious by the follow runs that the medium and the onerous compound presents a comparable grip degree on a future, however the latter yields decrease degradation, that means that the yellow-walled tyre won’t even make an look throughout the race.
Though groups generally get caught abruptly on Sunday as degradation might be totally different on race day in comparison with the race simulation runs carried out throughout follow periods, in Bahrain, groups had been capable of construct on the experiences that that they had gained earlier throughout the weekend. Drivers opted to the onerous and the smooth tyres, and nobody selected the medium tyre which is an actual rarity throughout a grand prix.
It was Lance Stroll, who accomplished the longest stint on the white-banded tyres by racking up a complete of 30 laps throughout his last stint. The most effective time on the C1 was recorded by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who posted a 1m34.090s on the second lap of his final stint (Lap 36).
The softest compound turned out to be a most popular tyre as each driver opted to start out the grand prix on the compound resulting from its excessive preliminary grip that supplied a terrific launch off the road.
Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez accomplished the longest stint on the red-walled rubber with a run of 21 laps. The quickest lap on the C3 got here from race winner Max Verstappen, who clocked an attention-grabbing 1m32.608s on Lap 39 which was the second lap of his last stint.
As for the methods, a lot of the drivers elected to finish the opening race of the season with a two-stop technique.
The one offset technique belonged to Haas racer Nico Hulkenberg, who made contact with Lance Stroll on the first nook on Lap 1 with the incident forcing the Emmerich-born driver to pit for brand spanking new tyres and a brand new entrance wing on the finish of the primary tour. The German driver pitted thrice throughout the race (Lap 1, 20 and 41), however his early cease meant that he successfully accomplished the race with a two-stop technique.
A lot of the drivers stopped for brand spanking new tyres between Laps 9 and 15 with solely Max Verstappen extending his first stint till Lap 17. Whereas the Dutchman misplaced a while on the used softs within the dying phases of his opening run in comparison with his direct rivals, he was capable of construct up such a niche till the primary cease of his rivals that he might lengthen his first stint in a bid to ascertain a strategic benefit to the remainder of the race.
A lot of the drivers elected to cease for his or her third set of tyres between Laps 27 and 37 with Verstappen turning into one of many final drivers to pit for the second time.
Of the two-stopping drivers, Fernando Alonso grew to become the final driver to pit for final contemporary set of tyres. The Spaniard might need been ready for a security automotive interruption which might have meant a smaller time loss in comparison with a pit cease in inexperienced flag circumstances.
Apart from Nico Hulkenberg who successfully elected for a two-stop technique, there have been two drivers who accomplished the opening race with a three-stop technique. Williams drivers Logan Sargeant and Alpine racer Pierre Gasly began the race with softs earlier than switching to the onerous and finishing a 3rd stint on the C1 compound which was adopted by a last stint on the red-walled tyres.
Each drivers made used of the truth that that they had loads of contemporary tyres obtainable after their dismal qualifying outcome. Furthermore, the American driver’s race was compromised by an electronics glitch and the French driver might need wished to attempt one thing totally different in what’s a really tough state of affairs for his crew as a result of lack of tempo of their automotive.
F1GP Bahrain
