Tires: a crucial factor in the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen

The United States Grand Prix once again demonstrated that a smart tire strategy can be the deciding factor in winning a race and significantly influence the outcome of the championship.

A world championship can hinge on the smallest details: a slight slip at the start, a stubborn wheel nut in the pits, a rough patch hit too hard. It also depends on the strategies devised by the teams and how they counter their rivals' plans.

The United States Grand Prix, which took place on Sunday in Austin, is a perfect illustration of this. After losing the lead at the start to Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull's strategists had to find a way to get Max Verstappen back in front of the Mercedes driver. The answer lay in tire strategy. After ten laps, the Red Bull pit wall opted for an aggressive strategy, bringing the Dutchman in early. Mercedes was forced to copy this move three laps later, but the damage was already done: Hamilton found himself behind Verstappen. From there, Hamilton's only chance to regain the lead was to extend his second stint as long as possible, hoping that fresher tires after the final pit stop would give him an advantage. He pitted on lap 37, eight laps after Verstappen's second stop, rejoining the race nearly nine seconds behind. Despite a fierce battle, the seven-time champion could only finish three seconds behind the winner. Even with newer tires, Mercedes' gamble did not pay off. Two key points stand out. First, Red Bull showed remarkable composure in executing an undercut that threw Mercedes off balance. Second, Verstappen managed his tires brilliantly, maintaining enough performance to fend off Hamilton's attack at the end of the race. Why do teams place tires at the heart of their strategy?

This season, Pirelli is supplying five slick tire compounds, ranked from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest), three of which are available at each Grand Prix: soft (red), medium (yellow), and hard (white). Drivers receive 13 sets per weekend—2 hard, 3 medium, and 8 soft—as well as intermediate and rain tires. Since Pirelli became the sole tire supplier in 2011, tires have once again become a central strategic element. The regulations called for tires that would add suspense by wearing out quickly, which coincided with the introduction of DRS and advanced KERS. During winter testing, Fernando Alonso, then a Ferrari driver, told the EFE news agency that the new tires would “change the face of racing” and bring “different strategies and more pit stops.”

Pirelli has been criticized for allegedly making races less exciting, as drivers cannot push the tires to their limits, as well as for sudden failures, such as the blowouts at Silverstone in 2013 and 2020. Teams have to adapt to all the compounds supplied by the Italian supplier at each circuit, as races and even championships can depend on this choice. Remember Kimi Raikkonen's right front tire blowout on the last lap at the Nürburgring in 2005, which cost him the win when tires were supposed to last the entire race? Or the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, where Hamilton, who was trailing Verstappen with ten laps to go, stopped to change tires, set a series of fastest laps, and overtook the Red Bull to claim a memorable victory. Mercedes repeated a similar comeback at the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix. In Austin, however, the German team was unable to replicate the formula, which could prove decisive in this highly competitive championship.