Pirelli: "Take softer tyres with us, but the teams will go for the one-stopper"

In terms of strategy, the Russian Grand Prix is not an exciting Grand Prix. Because of the extremely low wear and tear, a one-stopper is more than logical and because it is difficult to overtake, a two-stopper just doesn't seem possible. Pirelli wants to change that this weekend and so they will take the softest tyre combination with them.

The C3, C4 and C5 will go to Sochi this weekend, which according to Mario Isola is a good choice. “Thanks to the current reduced tread depth, which was first introduced in 2019, the softer C3, C4 and C5 nomination this year should encourage the use of all three compounds without the drivers having to manage them extensively during the race”, explains Isola in the preview of Pirelli.

“The Russian Grand Prix is one of the relatively few events this year to stick to its original calendar slot, which is at the same time as last year. Since then though, we’ve gone a step softer with the tyre choice, in order to provide extra speed and an additional challenge in terms of tyre strategy”. However, Isola cannot promise that the strategy will be different.

“With last year’s strategy having been heavily influenced by neutralisations – plus 2020 cars that are faster than ever before – the teams will certainly have a few unknowns heading into this year’s Russian Grand Prix. Having said that, Sochi places relatively low demands on tyres, so a one-stop race should still be possible. The teams will work out during free practice if this is still the fastest way: which we expect to be a popular choice as teams tend to target one-stoppers whenever possible", Isola concludes.