Singapore GP Tyre Strategies: What Verstappen and Ferrari Have Left for the Race

The impending battle between Max Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers at the Singapore Grand Prix could very well come down to remaining tyre allocations. While the Red Bull driver enjoys greater flexibility with his available soft slicks, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton hold a distinct advantage when it comes to fresh or lightly scrubbed medium tyres.

Both McLaren and Mercedes look well-equipped heading into the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and George Russell all have two new sets of mediums, one new set of hards, and an unused set of soft tyres at their disposal.

This provides all three drivers with significantly greater strategic versatility compared to pole-sitter Max Verstappen. The Dutchman holds just one new and one used set of mediums, alongside three scrubbed sets of softs.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli finds himself in a similar spot to the Red Bull driver regarding the medium compounds, although the Mercedes rookie has two used sets and no fresh softs remaining. All five drivers possess one brand-new set of hard tyres, meaning tactical variations will largely hinge on how they deploy the softer compounds.

Meanwhile, Ferrari adopted a completely different approach. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton saved two fresh sets of mediums and one new set of hards, but have no unused soft tyres left. This puts the Scuderia duo on level terms with Norris and Piastri regarding fresh medium and hard compounds, though McLaren still retain the added weapon of a brand-new set of softs.

Isack Hadjar stands out from the rest of the field with a remarkable three new sets of soft tyres. This surplus comes as a result of his severely limited running on Saturday, having retired just a few laps into the Sprint before a mechanical issue prevented him from setting a time in qualifying.

However, the Frenchman has only one fresh set of mediums, which could restrict his strategic options compared to McLaren and Ferrari should the race demand the yellow-walled compound. He already faces an uphill battle as he lines up at the back of the grid.

Regarding potential race strategies, tyre supplier Pirelli has outlined three single-stop scenarios. The first predicts a start on softs before switching to mediums between laps 26 and 32. The second follows a similar trajectory, swapping softs for hards between laps 23 and 29. The third option involves starting on mediums and switching to hards between laps 25 and 31, allowing for a longer opening stint on the more durable compound.