Deciding F1 Strategy

The two principal tools of pre-determined strategy are tyre choice and pit stop timing. Deciding whether to use hard or soft tyres and whether to stop once (meaning your race will comprise two stints) or twice (meaning three stints) and at what intervals are influenced by a two really important considerations:

• Where you are in the field: Over the past few seasons Grand Prix grids have tended to be split into three sections: the top three teams, the midfield, and the lower orders. Barring freak circumstances there’s no way a midfield or tail-end team is going to threaten for victory, no matter how brilliant their strategy. “The competition” is usually a reference to the cars in your own group. A team that has qualified in the middle of the midfield looks at what strategy could get it to the front of the midfield by the end of the race, rather than trying to take on Ferrari, Williams, or McLaren for victory. Strategies are usually decided from that perspective. Is that negative thinking on their part? No, just realism.
• How fast your pit stops are: For reasons of pit lane safety, highly pressurised refuelling – whereby fuel flows into the tanks at a very fast rate under pressure – is limited. The refuelling equipment fills the tanks at the rate of 12 litres per second. Barring problems, refuelling – and not tyre changing, which can be accomplished in around three seconds – is what determines the length of a pit stop. The tyre guys could even have a cigarette while waiting for the refuellers. . . no, on second thought. . .