Pirelli falls short of its goal: Motorsport director Mario Isola’s disappointment. Pirelli Motorsport director Mario Isola discusses tire strategy for the United States GP.

Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport director, confirmed that the Hard tire returns as a valid strategic option for Sunday’s race, significantly changing the tactical picture for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. The track is known for high tire degradation, but slightly cooler race conditions open up new possibilities. For this weekend, Pirelli implemented a compound jump, making the performance gap between Hard and Medium greater than usual — but apparently not enough to enforce the intended two-stop strategy.

Mario Isola: “The Hard is a viable option”

Mario Isola explained that the performance difference between the Hard (C1) and Medium (C3) tires is “less pronounced than expected.” Despite Pirelli’s attempts to increase the gap by skipping the C2, using the Hard tire does not result in a significant disadvantage compared to the Medium. A one-stop strategy starting directly on Hard has become more plausible.

“The Hard returns as a valid strategic option for Sunday’s race, as the performance gap with the Medium is smaller than anticipated,” Mario Isola said. “Considering all available compounds, multiple alternatives with marginal time differences are feasible without major drawbacks. Extending the first stint on Medium to a window between laps 20 and 26 could allow teams to complete the race with a single pit stop switching to the C1. Two-stop strategies combining Soft and Medium are equally valid: starting on the softer tire and performing the first stop between laps 12 and 18 on the C3, teams could either finish again on Medium or extend the stint further, taking advantage of the Soft tire’s speed in the final laps. Attempting to avoid the second stop using only Medium and Soft would require extremely careful management and carries the risk of performance drop, making this option, in our view, unrealistic for teams.”

Risks to watch during the race

Mario Isola also emphasized external factors that drivers will need to monitor during the race, such as wind and track surface conditions:

“Drivers will also need to pay close attention to two external factors that complicate driving: gusts of wind and surface irregularities. Wind increases the risk of lock-ups under braking, potentially reducing the effective window for tire use. Depressions in the asphalt can create micro-slips, raising tire temperatures and posing a challenge for thermal management.”