One or Two Stops in Madrid Today?

Pulse Sports Team 06:53 - 13 September 2026

Pirelli's Formula 1 program manager, Dario Marrafuski, stated after Saturday's qualifying session in Madrid that it's unclear which strategy will prove faster in today's Spanish Grand Prix.

On one hand, the pit lane at "Madrid" is exceptionally long, and overtakes are expected to be challenging. This could push teams towards a more conservative, single-stop approach. However, Friday's sessions showed relatively high tire degradation, particularly thermal degradation through the long Turn 12, "La Monumental," which opens the door for more aggressive two-stop strategies.

"The picture for Sunday remains open. At this stage, a one-stop strategy seems the more natural choice, considering the anticipated difficulty in overtaking and the time lost in the pit lane. Nevertheless, a two-stop strategy could also be viable if degradation remains at the level we observed on Friday. Most likely, strategies will involve Medium-Hard and Medium-Hard-Hard combinations. Soft-Hard and Soft-Hard-Hard combinations are expected to be about two seconds slower over the entire race distance. Undoubtedly, the hard compound is the most suitable and consistent, and most drivers have saved both their sets precisely for this reason. Much will depend on potential Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car deployments. On street circuits with walls close to the track, this is a scenario that should not be underestimated, as we've seen in the sessions so far this weekend," Marrafuski explained.