By: The Austin circuit may be highly demanding for the drivers, but it is proving relatively kind to the tyres. According to Pirelli motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi, the C2 Hard is likely to be the least popular race option. Wear levels are particularly low and drivers should be able to manage their race pace using the Medium and Soft compounds.
While we share Marrafuschi's view, we believe the C2 could instead prove to be a fairly widely used set during the GP. There are two reasons for this. Although teams can complete consistent long runs in practice, the situation becomes somewhat more critical in the race, and already today the C3 and C4 have not given the impression that they can last for long. The other reason concerns the C3: not everyone is comfortable with this compound.
Leclerc quickest on Softs, but Norris better on Hards
Among the teams struggling with the C3 is Ferrari, although it showed very respectable pace on the C4 Soft (should it opt for a Soft-Hard strategy). Among the drivers to run both Softs and Mediums and get the most from them was certainly Charles Leclerc. However, Norris, whom we believe held something back in the qualifying simulations, did even better on the C2 Hard.
The Softs worked best on Leclerc's and Verstappen's cars. However, they showed a loss of performance after a handful of laps. With Norris, meanwhile, the C2 Hard proved highly consistent and durable. That is why we believe it will be one of the best options to turn to during the race.
The McLaren threat, favoured by the Hards
McLaren and Lando Norris have left the teams guessing and, as the only ones to have tested the C2, they could hold a significant advantage during the GP. That is, provided they decide to use the compound despite the expectations. At present, the ranking of the best long runs has Norris leading Leclerc, Verstappen and Antonelli, all of them very closely matched. It will also be interesting to see how their respective team-mates recover, having appeared slightly behind during the day in terms of understanding the tyres and the car set-up.
Cover photo by Luca Martini / WHYOUT Images
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