18
June
2016
|
17:46
Europe/Amsterdam

2016 Europe Grand Prix, Qualifying

NICO ROSBERG USES P ZERO SUPERSOFT TO SET POLE POSITION FOR THE INAUGURAL GRAND PRIX AT BAKU

ONE-STOP STRATEGY EXPECTED TOMORROW

WEAR LEVELS ARE LOW, BUT SAFETY CARS COULD DISRUPT RACE STRATEGY

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg will start from pole position tomorrow, having used the P Zero Red supersoft tyre from the start to finish of qualifying. All competitors used the softest tyre available here for the entirety of qualifying, with the soft and medium compounds also nominated for the inaugural grand prix in Azerbaijan. With track evolution levels being quite high, the circuit got faster and faster as each session went on. The final Q3 shoot-out was interrupted by a red flag just two minutes from the end, which gave drivers the opportunity to head out for a final run if they wished. Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “We saw an action-packed qualifying session, where the lack of experience and lack of grip on this new circuit was a key factor, causing a few surprises. The supersoft was used from start to finish, but the fresh asphalt meant that there was little grip on offer, and the track was evolving all the time. As a result it was an exciting session, which suggests also that there could be a high probability of a safety car tomorrow, as we saw in the GP2 race earlier. While a one-stop strategy is clearly the way forward, there are some good opportunities to have on this rapid circuit, which combines the unpredictability of a street circuit with the possibility to overtake and move up the field.” How the tyres behaved today: Medium: used today only in FP3 and unlikely to play a major part in the race tomorrow. Soft: seen in FP3; will be used in the latter part of the race, or by those on an alternative strategy at the start. Supersoft: the fastest tyre by about a second, which was the default qualifying choice. Race strategy: The teams obviously have limited data regarding Baku, so there is less information than usual on which to base strategy calculations. However, a one-stop seems to be clearly the best option. The top 10 will all start on used supersoft, and we would expect them to move onto the soft on lap 22 (of 51). If starting on the soft, the time to switch to supersoft is lap 29. However, strategies will have to be flexible, as there appears to be a high likelihood of a safety car. Free practice 3 - top three times

Hamilton1m44.352sSupersoft new
Rosberg1m44.610sSupersoft new
Hulkenberg1m45.540sSupersoft new

Qualifying top 10

Rosberg1m42.758sSupersoft new
Perez1m43.515sSupersoft new
Ricciardo1m43.966sSupersoft used
Vettel1m43.966sSupersoft used
Raikkonen1m44.269sSupersoft used
Massa1m44.483sSupersoft new
Kvyat1m44.717sSupersoft used
Bottas1m45.246sSupersoft new
Verstappen1m45.570sSupersoft used
Hamilton2m01.954sSupersoft new

Longest stint so far of the weekend

MediumHaryanto11 laps
SoftPalmer19
SupersoftMagnussen20

Highest laps per compound of the weekend

MediumHulkenberg15 laps
SoftPalmer28
SupersoftMagnussen28

Best time by compound so far

MediumRosberg1m45.792s
SoftHamilton1m45.102s
SupersoftRosberg1m42.520s

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