Pirelli says one-stop strategy had a narrow edge in Austin

A one-stop strategy was the most effective option at the United States Grand Prix, but only by a narrow margin, Pirelli motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi said in his post-race assessment. He said degradation in the opening stint confirmed projections made after practice, while the Hard tyre performed slightly better than expected.

Kimi Antonelli won using one stop, starting on the Medium compound before switching to the Hard at his only pit stop. Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen each stopped twice; Leclerc finished second and Verstappen third.

Marrafuschi said Verstappen’s early stop, as he chased championship leader Antonelli, chiefly influenced the two-stop strategies adopted by some teams and set off a chain reaction in race management. Drivers who could run in clear air maintained a consistent pace to the flag on one stop, he said.

Tyre wear was relatively high and broadly uniform across the teams, but did not translate into a significant increase in performance degradation, Marrafuschi said. He added that the Hard’s consistent performance enabled Leclerc to pass Verstappen.