Red Bull prefer harder tyres in Mexican GP choices

2017 Mexican Grand Prix

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Red Bull have opted for a harder tyre selection than their rivals for next week’s Mexican Grand Prix.

While nine drivers have chosen to stock up on ten sets of the softest tyres available, Red Bull has taken just six sets for each of its drivers and picked three sets of the hardest nominated compounds.

Ferrari have also erred on the conservative side. Sebastian Vettel has selected more super-soft tyres than any other driver while he and Kimi Raikkonen have seven sets of ultra-softs.

This year’s race is the first time the ultra-soft tyres have been nominated for the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Last year Lewis Hamilton won the race on a single-stop strategy using soft and medium tyres. The latter has not been nominated this year.

2017 Mexican Grand Prix tyre selections

DriverTeamTyres
Lewis HamiltonMercedes
Valtteri BottasMercedes
Daniel RicciardoRed Bull
Max VerstappenRed Bull
Sebastian VettelFerrari
Kimi RaikkonenFerrari
Sergio PerezForce India
Esteban OconForce India
Felipe MassaWilliams
Lance StrollWilliams
Fernando AlonsoMcLaren
Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren
Daniil KvyatToro Rosso
Pierre GaslyToro Rosso
Romain GrosjeanHaas
Kevin MagnussenHaas
Nico HulkenbergRenault
Carlos Sainz JnrRenault
Pascal WehrleinSauber
Marcus EricssonSauber

2017 Mexican Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    8 comments on “Red Bull prefer harder tyres in Mexican GP choices”

    1. Probably because of anticipated grid penalties due to engine changes

      1. Agree. Could it be RB is tweaking the Tag Heuer getting ready for 2018? Maybe they want to test out all the development this year while they still have a mule available since 3rd is pretty wrapped up?

        1. Nope.

          First of all RedBull doesn’t develop the engine at all. That would be Renault, who already said at Silverstone that there will be no further engine upgrades in 2017. Renault has it’s own team now and will develop the engine fully towards the needs of their own team. RedBull can simply get in line (behind McLaren, who will have ‘preferred customer’ status next year).

          And secondly RedBull had simply used their maximum allowed 4 components by round 11, Belgium, and took their 5th engine at Monza. You can’t do 8 races with one set of components so they have to take a 6th to even get to the end of 2017.

          1. A few years ago, I thought Red Bull said they rewrote some of the software for Renault, and did they not bring in Ilmor last year to help with the engines? I don’t think Red Bull is staying hands off on the engine development side; I suspect there are Red Bull tweaks to the Tag Heuer engine. Maybe Red Bull gave those to developments to Renault, or maybe not.

    2. It seems like Mercs love that Ultra soft tyres more than others.

      1. Which is a little interesting as Mercs have previously punished softer tires more. Recall 2015 that Ferrari was able to push on softer tires. And earlier Mercs (2010-14?) would chew through them. I feel like its only last year and into this year where Mercs have needed/wanted softer rubber.

        1. But it could be seen in Houston, that Vettel’s tires went long before Hamilton’s, so it seems that the Mercs are easier on them overall this (part of this) year

    3. All excuses, they simply don’t want to drive on pink tires :)

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