The Ferrari drivers have chosen two more sets of the softest tyre available than their Ferrari rivals for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have each chosen to take nine sets of the super-soft tyre. However two teams have been even more aggressive with their selections: The McLaren and Williams drivers will have ten sets each.
Lewis Hamilton will have seven sets of super-softs and five softs plus just one set of the medium compound tyres, which is mandatory.
2017 Malaysian Grand Prix tyre choices
Driver | Team | Tyres |
---|---|---|
Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | |
Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | |
Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | |
Max Verstappen | Red Bull | |
Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | |
Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | |
Sergio Perez | Force India | |
Esteban Ocon | Force India | |
Felipe Massa | Williams | |
Lance Stroll | Williams | |
Fernando Alonso | McLaren | |
Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren | |
Carlos Sainz Jnr | Toro Rosso | |
Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso | |
Romain Grosjean | Haas | |
Kevin Magnussen | Haas | |
Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | |
Jolyon Palmer | Renault | |
Pascal Wehrlein | Sauber | |
Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | |
Update: Since this article was published Toro Rosso has announced Pierre Gasly has taken over Daniil Kvyat’s car. Gasly will therefore use Kvyat’s tyre selection.
baasbas
19th September 2017, 11:50
More aggressive you say… okay
Hugh (@hugh11)
19th September 2017, 12:09
Implying Mercedes may try to get through Q2 on the softs, as they’ve taken 4/5 sets?
Yeezy918 (@)
19th September 2017, 12:12
1 set of the mediums, so that set will be run for the first time all weekend on race day? (if its dry), bold.
Yeezy918 (@)
19th September 2017, 12:12
For Lewis that is.
nase
19th September 2017, 12:55
@offdutyrockstar
Nah, I’d guess they’re not planning to use it at all. Bottas will sample it on Friday, but in all likeliness, this run will confirm the simulations, showing that the Medium tyre is too slow and does not offer significantly more durability than the Soft, making it useless in the race.
Alec Glen (@alec-glen)
19th September 2017, 13:07
I wonder why when looking at this Pirelli aren’t moving their tyre compounds two stages over next year or why they wouldn’t offer the ultrasoft as a true qualifying tyre. I know it looks bad when their tyres struggle for durability but the teams clearly haven’t valued the hardest compound offered so the move to provide 3 compounds hasn’t provided the spark anticipated as the teams are just loading up on the two softest available.
Sonics (@sonicslv)
19th September 2017, 14:37
@alec-glen And Pirelli just can’t win do they? First they make a tires that instantly unusable by exploding and people complain (rightly so), then its not unusable but a definitive “pit now or you’ll be super slow” and people complain. Now, they have the tires that all previous complainers asked (durable and not falling into the cliff when it expires) and guess what? People complain.
Personally I like the “falling off the cliff” tires. It’s like gravel trap / grass run off area, you don’t thrown out of race (exploding) if you overworked them but you also face a real consequences instead of continuing like nothing happened (like a tarmac run off). Just make the operating temp window well defined with teams input, so if they can’t bring it into working temperature it’s their fault.
Gary
19th September 2017, 15:47
Doesn’t really matter much as Mercedes is going to embarrass the grid for the balance of the season.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
19th September 2017, 16:14
Won’t help, it’s like 1% boost for the morale. On race day HAM will lap on Softs as fast (if not faster) as VET on SuperSofts, on Mediums as fast as VET on Softs etc.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
19th September 2017, 16:16
BTW, McLaren and Williams go even more agressive than Ferrari. ALO trying some new kamikaze moves?!
C
19th September 2017, 18:01
I think Alonso is magnet for Kamikaze moves by other drivers: Austria and in Singapore again.
just.daz (@nemo87)
19th September 2017, 19:05
“The Ferrari drivers have chosen two more sets of the softest tyre available than their Ferrari rivals”
@keithcollantine Should that second Ferrari be Mercedes or nothing at all!?
Phylyp (@phylyp)
20th September 2017, 6:03
When I started to read the headline “Ferrari go more aggressive with Malaysia” I thought “Can’t be more aggressive than Singapore”, then I reached the bit about this being tyre choices.
Martin
20th September 2017, 19:57
Hahahaha
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
20th September 2017, 9:02
I couldn’t but help notice that Sebastian and Kimi have made the same tyre choice as Max.
MG1982 (@mg1982)
20th September 2017, 9:58
+1. Something’s really going on with these guys. Karma is not enough already.
Jeroen
20th September 2017, 10:11
In my opinion those Ferrari’s were aggressive enough in Singapore.
AndrewW
20th September 2017, 13:13
Ferrari’s aggressive strategy is as encouraging as it is necessary. The key will likely be tyre deg.. and, to a lesser extent, ambient temperature.
Martin
20th September 2017, 20:01
….and to a greater extent, not hitting each other.