Pirelli sees possibilities for one stop shop in Zandvoort: “There is also room to play”

Mario Isola can be happy about his qualification for the Dutch Grand Prix. There were two red flags in Q2, both times for a Williams driver. The tires held up well at the Zandvoort circuit, but during the race it will be much more exciting for Pirelli.

“It was a bit of a stop-start qualifying session, consistent with what we’ve seen in most sessions here so far, with two red flags in Q2 and a few surprises everywhere,” Isola said after qualifying. . “In qualifying, the track has evolved, with the best times at the end of each session.”

Impact on the qualification strategy

The changing conditions also had a clear impact on the qualifying strategy, says the Pirelli boss. “The teams tried to set their times as late as possible. As a result, many drivers improved their time, including Max Verstappen, who therefore remains 38 thousandths ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

As for the race strategy, everything is still open. “With both a two-person stop and a possible stop,” explains Isola. “However, teams will want to focus on a single stop if they can, which is achievable with the medium or soft tire as a start, followed by a final stint on the hard tire.”

“What could pay off”

Because this will be the first time in 36 years that Zandvoort has been driven again, there are many strategies that can be tried. “Without a lot of information in advance to fall back on, there is also room for the drivers to play and do something else, which could pay off,” the Italian concludes.