Verstappen names strategic advantage: Pirelli confirm it

Max Verstappen has a strategic advantage ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. The Dutchman has an extra set of hard tyres remaining. Most likely a tyre that will be used a lot in the race.

Verstappen himself knew well after qualifying that he had an advantage. According to Verstappen, he was the only one of the top drivers to have two fresh sets of hard tyres left. Tyres that could come in handy at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Pirelli's preview shows that Verstappen was right.

Does Verstappen really have an advantage?

Source: Pirelli Motorsport

Only Yuki Tsunoda also has two hard tyres at his disposal, the rest of the field of competitors has only one fresh set left. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz also have no advantage over Verstappen. They only have one extra set of medium left, but that is a used tyre.

Sergio Perez does still have two fresh sets of the yellow tyre at his disposal and can thus go on the attack in front of his own crowd. The problems are perhaps greatest for Aston Martin, where both drivers have no fresh hard and medium tyres left.

Verstappen himself expects he will have much to gain from the hard tyres, Pirelli thinks otherwise in the preview. According to the Italian tyre supplier, a one-stop strategy is the most obvious one. This can be from medium to hard, or from hard to soft. The last option Pirelli presents is medium-hard-medium.

Source: Pirelli Motorsport