Pirelli’s Mario Isola: “It was a bit too warm for the soft to show its speed advantage”

Mario Isola says the warmer conditions at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday meant the Italian Grand Prix was always going to be run on the two hardest compounds available.

With drivers all allowed a free choice of starting tyre due to the Sprint Qualifying race format in Italy, the majority of the field began the race on the medium compound before switching to the hard for the final stint.

Both Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris used this strategy to claim a one-two finish for the McLaren F1 Team, but the podium was completed by Valtteri Bottas, who adopted the opposite strategy as the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team climbed from nineteenth on the grid after starting on the hard compound.

Isola says the hard tyre showed impressive pace and durability throughout Sunday’s race at Monza, particularly as Ricciardo was able to grab the bonus point for fastest lap on the final of the fifty-three laps.  He also says the temperature in Italy prevented the soft compound from being used bar for a couple of laps by Nikita Mazepin.

“Both McLaren drivers used the same medium to hard strategy that was adopted by the majority of the field, but Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes also showed what was possible with the opposite strategy,” said Isola.

“The performance of the hard tyre here was underlined by the fact that Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap on the final lap, having managed the race perfectly since the restart.

“Today’s warm weather certainly favoured the hard and medium compounds, which both showed minimal degradation, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, it was a bit too warm for the soft to show its speed advantage.”

Credit: Pirelli Motorsport