How many pit stops in Austin? Pirelli’s strategy guide for 2024 F1 United States GP. Pirelli shares possible strategies and pit stops to complete the 2024 F1 Austin race.

This is the second race of the weekend at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin after yesterday evening’s Sprint event. The starting grid has changed, with Lando Norris on pole, followed by Max Verstappen and the two Ferrari SF-24 cars of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. The battle on track will be intense, and excitement is expected over the 56 laps scheduled. On-track action will be amplified by strategies and the number of pit stops required to make the most of the Pirelli tires at the United States GP in Austin.

Yesterday’s qualifying session ended early due to George Russell’s off-track incident, which prevented Max Verstappen and the two Ferraris from completing their second attempts. The starting scenario for today’s race would likely have been different, as everyone was improving. There’s uncertainty about race pace, but Ferrari seems strong and ready to compete with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. The two SF-24 cars, as throughout the season, have proven much more effective over long distances, and today they could be a factor. This assumption is backed by the speed shown in the final stages of yesterday’s Sprint.

How many pit stops in Austin?
Race strategy will be crucial, with Pirelli suggesting a race with predominantly two stops. The tires designated for long stints are, of course, the medium (C3) and the hard (C2), while the soft (C4) could come into play if there is a Safety Car in the final stages of the race. Thermal management of the tires will be essential in the early stages of the race with a full fuel load and higher temperatures.

Formula 1 official tire supplier Pirelli has offered three different race strategies, ranging from the most conservative and fastest to the more aggressive. The key will be the middle stint, which in the first two options differs between medium and hard tires. In fact, with the harder tire, an interesting scenario could emerge in the final part of the race with a lighter car.

Available tire compounds for each driver in the Austin GP
Pirelli has also communicated the tire compounds available for the drivers to tackle the 56 laps scheduled for this evening. For the front-runners, the tire situation is fairly balanced, with two new sets of medium tires and one hard set for the top seven on the grid. Hamilton, starting from the back of the grid, could choose the red tire and try to climb up as much as possible in the very early stages of the race. However, the race pace seen yesterday is not reassuring.