Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, Albert Park, 2018

McLaren chooses softest tyre selection for Bahrain

2018 Bahrain Grand Prix

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McLaren has chosen the softest tyre selection of the teams for the Bahrain Grand Prix next week.

Fernando Alonso have Stoffel Vandoorne each have nine sets of super-soft tyres for the second round of the world championship.

The drivers from the top three teams – Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – will each have seven sets of the super-soft tyres. Here are the drivers’ tyre selections in full.

2018 Bahrain Grand Prix information

DriverTeamTyres
Lewis HamiltonMercedesMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Valtteri BottasMercedesMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Sebastian VettelFerrariMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Kimi RaikkonenFerrariMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Daniel RicciardoRed BullMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Max VerstappenRed BullMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Sergio PerezForce IndiaMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Esteban OconForce IndiaMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Lance StrollWilliamsMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Sergey SirotkinWilliamsMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Carlos Sainz JnrRenaultMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Nico HulkenbergRenaultMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Pierre GaslyToro RossoMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Brendon HartleyToro RossoMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Romain GrosjeanHaasMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Kevin MagnussenHaasMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Fernando AlonsoMcLarenMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Stoffel VandoorneMcLarenMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Marcus EricssonSauberMedium tyreMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre
Charles LeclercSauberMedium tyreMedium tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSoft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyreSuper soft tyre

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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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7 comments on “McLaren chooses softest tyre selection for Bahrain”

  1. McLaren seems to be particularly gentle on its tyres, but I don’t know whether this is a strength or a weakness. I guess it’s a strength? Since all compounds went a step softer and Pirelli’s plans to spice races is to keep selecting softer compounds to make 2 stops a preferred strategy and 3 stops possible on certain layouts.

    1. It is likely to be a strength in warmer races but a possible weakness if the weather is cold.

    2. In Australia they failed miserably in their goal to have 2 pit stops, and I’m expecting them to fail again if they don’t select the softest tires. Although the teams keep saying all tires are similar in duration, so perhaps it doesn’t matter which compounds they select and we’ll have another season with 1 pit stops only.

      1. @krommenaas Pirelli stated that they had to be conservative because the first batch had to be decided before the winter test but that the next ones will go softer. So ther’s still a good chance we will see that fortunately.

        1. Ah that’s good to hear, thanks!

  2. It would be informative to get some insight into what the teams gain in terms of set-up information by running on the harder tyres. Hamilton seems to typically select as many “hards” as anyone else and he doesn’t seem to suffer over heating or blistering issues with the softer ones, to the same extent as others. Yes there’s the car element, but he usually seems to be ahead of Bottas in terms of tyre management and the benefits that result.
    Even in pre-season testing, this year and last, Mercedes hardly used the softer ranges and stuck to the Mediums. Since they seem to be ahead of the game, overall, they must be onto something.

  3. SHame there’s no Hypersoft. Apparently SS has the lower working range but Bahrain is generally hot.
    Pirelli conservative as usual, sand and high terminal velocities on the straight are always a stress on their mind. The layout is not too hard on tyres but harder than Melbourne, 1 stop is surely still going to be the target even if a 2 stop should be marginally quicker.

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