Report
Why the pit-stop strategy debate has reopened
An unusually long safety-car window has reset the calculation for Sunday. The numbers and the team reactions.
An unusually long safety-car window has reset the calculation for Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix. The teams have been working through the strategy options since FP2, with the tyre-deg numbers driving the conversation.
The pit window opens around lap 14 under the undercut threat, and the leading two cars are starting on the medium compound. The undercut threat is high if the second-row cars pit early, with the soft-shod runners gaining on the out-lap.
What to watch
- Whether the leaders pit together or split the strategy to cover the undercut.
- How the second-row cars manage the soft tyre in the first stint; the tyre-deg numbers from FP2 were the highest of the weekend.
- Whether the safety car window opens in the first 15 laps; the Sakhir circuit has historically averaged 1.4 safety cars per race.
Sources
The reporting is sourced to the team principals and the verified tyre-deg data from FP2.