Mario Isola, Motorsport Director of Pirelli, discussed the upcoming Brazil GP set to take place this weekend, suggesting that teams will likely opt for a two-stop strategy in Sunday’s race.
Formula 1 is preparing for the third and final consecutive race for which Pirelli has chosen to bring the following tire compounds: C2 (hard), C3 (medium), and C4 (soft). It is the most balanced selection given the availability of five tire compounds, ranging from C1 to C5.
Regarding minimum tire pressures, the values are set at 23.0 psi for the front tires and 21.0 psi for the rear tires. Camber settings should be at a maximum of -3.25° at the front and -2.00° at the rear.
Mario Isola’s comments to preview the Brazilian Grand Prix
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, commented on the upcoming race to Motorsport.com: “The São Paulo, Brazil race always provides spectacular racing. With its 4.309 kilometers in length, the Interlagos circuit is one of the shortest on the entire World Championship calendar, surpassed only by Monaco and Mexico City. It is run counterclockwise. The track features 15 corners (nine to the left and five to the right) and is one of the few circuits in the championship where racing takes place counterclockwise.”
Mario Isola justified the tire compound choices: “It’s a rather comprehensive circuit with medium and low-speed corners, various direction changes, and the need for a fairly high level of aerodynamic load. In terms of forces acting on the tires, it’s a circuit that’s quite balanced between lateral and longitudinal forces. As is often the case on permanent tracks with a long history, the asphalt has a high level of roughness. However, degradation is mainly thermal, so the choice of the C2, C3, and C4 tire compounds was made.”
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Mario Isola discussed the most plausible strategy, considering variables like the Safety Car and uncertain weather: “From a race strategy perspective, the double pit stop is the most predictable option. A single pit stop would require a lot of tire management, which would be detrimental in terms of pace. Furthermore, the Safety Car has often been a key factor, introducing an additional variable, as can the weather conditions, which can change quite rapidly and significantly in this part of the year.”
Finally, attention turned to the weekend format: “The Interlagos race will be the final event of the season with the Sprint format, and teams and drivers will have an extra opportunity to assess tire behavior over the long distance. Since this format was introduced in 2021, Brazil has always been part of the selected races, a sign of how well it lends itself to providing spectacle and on-track duels,” he concluded.
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