For Monaco, Pirelli will be doing the exact opposite to the last time out in Spain where they provided the ten Formula One teams with the three hardest compounds in their range, with the streets of the Principality needing the three softest compounds instead, the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft.
Monaco is known for being the slowest race of the year due to the nature of the track, and therefore tyre degradation will also be very low. Pirelli expect a one-stop race as the most likely scenario, but how the different teams approach this demanding and unforgiving race strategically is much more uncertain.
The other thing Monaco is well known for is the difficulty to overtake, and that was BEFORE the cars were made wider for 2017. Unfortunately the circuit cannot be made any wider to accommodate, so overtaking is expected to be more difficult than ever before.
Therefore, the twenty drivers contesting this weekend's race will need to make sure they unlock ever ounce of performance from their tyres in qualifying as grid position is vital here.
“The three softest compounds are the obvious choice for Monaco, but there is still plenty of scope for strategic variation, because wear and degradation is so low that the teams can more or less choose whenever they would like to make their single pit stop from ultrasoft to supersoft, which should be the standard choice for the race,” explained Pirelli's Mario Isola. “This is the first grand prix that the drivers have been able to select their own tyre allocations, and as expected the nominations have overwhelmingly favoured the ultrasoft. This is the tyre that will be used the most in both qualifying and the race.”
