Pirelli hopes to see more pit stops in Jeddah

      The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the last in the spring series of three races in a row, and this year Pirelli has brought softer tires to Jeddah. C3 will be used as Hard, C4 as Medium, and C5 as Soft.

      Tire manufacturers are trying to meet the expectations of the FIA, Formula 1 and the teams and believe that such a choice will contribute to a variety of tactical schemes, which usually means a more interesting and unpredictable nature of the race.

      The Jeddah circuit has been hosting Formula 1 races since 2021, and the previous four Grands Prix were dominated by a single pit stop. For example, in 2024, during the Grand Prix, only Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas made two pit stops, the rest were limited to one, while most started on Medium tires in order to get Hard on the second leg of the race.

      Only Oliver Berman, who was making his debut race for Ferrari, and Bottas started on soft tires (then it was C4 tires), while Lando Norris (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Guanyu Zhou, Bottas' teammate, managed to maximize the first leg on Medium, after which they switched to Soft.

      The track surface is not very abrasive, Pirelli estimates that this parameter is at an average level there, but in fast turns of the track, the tires experience significant lateral loads, although not as high as in Suzuka or Barcelona.

      In Jeddah, granulation of the rubber is possible, especially in the first practice session: on Friday, the track is still quite dirty, as races are rarely held there. But several support races are included in the weekend's program, and the condition of the surface will gradually improve, so that the unpleasant phenomenon will appear less.