An advantage for Verstappen? Pirelli reveals uncertain factor for Brazil GP

In recent weeks, Ferrari and McLaren have had a big advantage over Max Verstappen's Red Bull. The two teams have cars that are kinder on the tyres. But will that be the same during the Brazilian Grand Prix? There is doubt because a change has been made at the Interlagos circuit, creating an uncertain factor.

As in Austin and Mexico City, new asphalt has also been laid in Sao Paulo. Unlike the US and Mexico City circuits, where it was just a small section, the entire track and pit lane have been resurfaced. The work was only recently completed, and the asphalt was then thoroughly cleaned with a high-pressure water cleaning system that removes the shine normally found on brand-new asphalt.

The teams do not know how the tyres and cars will perform on the asphalt. Pirelli has opted to bring a softer trio of compound tyres to Brazil than last year which makes things more complex for teams. In 2024, the C3 is the hard tyre, the C4 the medium and the C5 the soft tyre. It is also a sprint weekend, so there is only one free practice to find the best set-up for the sprint race.

In Austin, there was also a sprint race, which proved to be a great learning tool for the teams. After the sprint race, the teams managed to improve the balance of the cars, and Pirelli expects the same for next weekend.