Hamilton starts Bahrain GP with potential trump card over Verstappen

Tyre management could prove to be the decisive factor in today’s race, with Friday’s race simulations highlighting extremely high levels of degradation. Drivers will therefore need to pay particularly close attention to preserving their tyres throughout the race.

As for the different strategies available in today’s race, Pirelli has outlined three options that are considered broadly equivalent, with no single approach standing out as the clear favourite.

A two-stop strategy can be built around the medium and hard compounds, with the first stop expected between laps 12 and 18 and the second between laps 32 and 38. Drivers could also start on the soft, making their first stop slightly earlier, between laps 10 and 16, before completing the race with two stints on the hard tyre.

Another two-stop variation would see drivers start on the medium, switch to the hard between laps 11 and 17 and then move onto the soft for the final stint between laps 34 and 40.

A three-stop strategy is also considered a viable alternative, starting on the soft before switching to the hard between laps 7 and 13, fitting another set of hards between laps 24 and 30 and then returning to the C3 medium between laps 41 and 47.

Another two-stop option would involve starting on the medium, changing to the hard between laps 11 and 17 and then fitting the soft for the final stint between laps 34 and 40. With the race running for 56 laps and the estimated pit-stop time loss standing at 22.5 seconds, Pirelli's projections leave teams with several possible approaches depending on tyre degradation and how the race develops.

Looking at the tyre sets available for the start of the race, there is a notable difference between Verstappen and Hamilton on the front row. Verstappen has one new hard, one new medium and one new soft available, while Hamilton can count on two fresh sets of hards, as well as one used medium and one new soft. Given the high levels of degradation seen during Friday’s long runs, Hamilton’s additional fresh hard set could potentially prove to be an advantage over the course of the race, giving Ferrari greater flexibility with the most durable compound.

Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, has two new soft sets available, alongside one fresh hard and one used medium. Further up the grid, Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are all particularly well equipped when it comes to the hardest compound, with two new sets of hards each, as well as one fresh medium.