Ferrari made the strategic choice to run the red Soft tire on Charles Leclerc’s SF-25, while most of the other Formula 1 cars on the grid opted for the Medium compound for the start of the United States Grand Prix. The extra grip provided by the SF-25 chassis on the Soft tire allowed Charles Leclerc to have superior traction at the very start of the Austin race, giving him a potential advantage in the opening corners. At the same time, however, this choice introduced several challenges that the Ferrari race engineers needed to carefully manage, particularly the higher degradation rate of the Soft compound. Despite what might appear as a simple tire choice at first glance, there are well-founded technical and strategic reasons explaining why the Italian team ultimately decided to deploy the Soft tires for the Monegasque driver in the initial stint of the race.
This season, the Hard tire provided by Pirelli corresponds to the C1 compound, while the Medium tire corresponds to the C3 compound. This classification means there is an extra step between the Hard and Medium tires, creating a more pronounced performance gap between the two compounds. Many Formula 1 teams, after analyzing the data and considering track characteristics, regarded the Hard tire as “too hard” and consequently insufficiently competitive in terms of outright lap time when compared to the softer compounds. Looking back at the previous season, the fastest and most effective race strategy often involved starting on the Medium tire and then switching to the Hard compound for the final stint of the race.
Given that the Hard tire was relatively uncompetitive in terms of pace, a single-stop strategy was clearly not going to be the fastest solution for the majority of teams, making a two-stop race strategy highly attractive from a strategic perspective. By choosing to start on the Soft tire, Charles Leclerc positioned himself to follow a two-stop strategy, which involved completing two stints on the Medium compound after the initial stint. In the opening laps of the race, with the assistance of an early Safety Car period, Charles Leclerc demonstrated an excellent pace, showing that the strategy was viable and that the extra grip from the Soft tires allowed him to maintain a strong rhythm even in the initial corners and straights.
For Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari opted for a different approach, choosing to start on the Medium tire, which aligned with the strategy adopted by most of the other cars in the competitive group. During the first stint, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion repeatedly reported excessive understeer, indicating that the car’s front end was lacking grip and that balance adjustments would be necessary to optimize his performance. For this reason, Ferrari did not attempt to put the red Soft tire on Lewis Hamilton. If he was already struggling with significant understeer on the Medium tire, switching to the softer and grippier Soft compound would have worsened the car’s balance, shifting the aerodynamic and mechanical grip toward the rear and making it harder for him to control the car effectively in corners.
McLaren experienced difficulties in the opening stint of the race, particularly concerning the Lando Norris car. The team identified several issues that could impact the performance over the first part of the race. One of the main concerns for the McLaren engineers was the phenomenon of front tire graining, which occurs when the tire surface develops small irregularities that reduce overall grip and performance. Although graining can occur on this particular track, high ambient and track temperatures generally have a mitigating effect on the problem, reducing its severity. Some cars did exhibit minor signs of graining, but McLaren engineers reported that the thermal degradation at the rear tires was actually a bigger concern than the front-end graining, indicating that tire management would be crucial for maintaining competitive pace over a longer stint.
At Red Bull, the primary concern for the engineers centered around front tire thermal degradation. The Red Bull RB21 single-seater has a natural tendency toward understeer, meaning that it can struggle to rotate through corners if the front tires overheat. Data collected during the opening laps showed that the temperatures of the front tires were steadily increasing, which could have compromised performance if not carefully managed. Despite this, Max Verstappen confirmed that the overall balance of the car remained excellent and that he was able to maintain competitive lap times. Additionally, the battle between Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris allowed Max Verstappen to build a safe gap over his immediate rivals. By the end of the race, the advantage accumulated during this early phase of the Grand Prix proved to be decisive for the overall race outcome.
During the first stint, several teams closely monitored the performance of Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar, who opted to start the race on Hard tires. However, data collected from both cars confirmed that the harder compound was not very competitive in terms of lap time. Consequently, both Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had the option to pursue a two-stop strategy, though the primary plan for the top drivers initially remained a single-stop race using the Medium-Soft tire sequence. Meanwhile, Lando Norris found himself stuck behind Charles Leclerc, struggling to overtake due to the competitive pace and defensive driving of the Ferrari driver.
Lando Norris was keen to execute an undercut on Charles Leclerc to gain track position, but Ferrari preferred to extend Charles Leclerc’s stint on the Soft tire to maximize the overall performance window of the car. When the McLaren driver finally completed an overtaking maneuver on the Ferrari SF-25, Charles Leclerc was immediately called to the pit lane to switch to Medium tires. During the out-lap, the Monegasque asked his race engineer whether he should push aggressively to attempt an undercut on Lando Norris. However, considering that the McLaren car had higher longevity on the new Medium compound, it made more strategic sense to gradually introduce the Medium tire rather than pushing immediately, allowing for better tire life management over the long stint.
The Ferrari team was also evaluating the feasibility of a single-stop race strategy. Charles Leclerc had managed the Soft tire exceptionally well during the first stint, demonstrating skillful tire management and consistent lap times despite the higher degradation of the compound. Up front, Max Verstappen started to encounter difficulties with the Medium tires, likely due to changing track conditions, such as evolving grip levels, temperature variations, and the natural rubbering-in of the racing line. The car’s rotation deficit increased as a result, requiring minor adjustments to the front wing angle to maintain optimal aerodynamic balance and handling performance.
After pitting, Charles Leclerc showed excellent pace on the yellow-marked Medium tires, effectively extending the undercut advantage over Lando Norris for a significant number of laps. The Briton eventually pitted on lap 33 to fit the red Soft tires, but upon rejoining the track, he was overtaken by the Ferrari SF-25 driven by Charles Leclerc. At this stage of the race, the Ferrari strategy began to clearly orient toward a single-stop race plan, which ultimately became the definitive approach for both the team and the lead driver.
Having called Charles Leclerc into the pits on lap 18, it was necessary for him to complete approximately 38 laps on the Medium compound to reach the end of the race. Considering that rival drivers, with full fuel loads at the start, had already completed over 30 laps on the same compound, Ferrari’s strategy was progressing successfully. The Monegasque played a crucial role in prolonging the life of the Soft tire during the initial stint while simultaneously defending aggressively against Lando Norris’s attacks, demonstrating a combination of tire management skill and strategic awareness.
Lando Norris attempted to respond and regain position, but the Soft tires on his car experienced significant thermal stress, which caused rapid degradation and reduced overall grip levels. On lap 34, Max Verstappen also switched to the red Soft tire, aligning with the single-stop strategy, and ensuring he could maintain a competitive pace until the end of the race. In the final stages of the Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was eventually overtaken by Lando Norris. After an initially challenging phase, Lando Norris was able to exploit the tire advantage on his Soft compound against the Ferrari, which was starting to fade in performance on the Medium tire, demonstrating the critical importance of tire management, strategic decisions, and race pace consistency throughout the event.
Overall, Ferrari’s decision to start Charles Leclerc on Soft tires, while initially appearing unconventional, was a calculated and well-reasoned strategy based on compound performance, degradation rates, and race circumstances. The combination of precise tire management, timely pit stops, and strong driving allowed Charles Leclerc to maximize the potential of the SF-25, challenge the competition, and maintain a competitive position relative to rivals.
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