Mario Isola: We haven't seen this yet in the current season!

      During practice sessions teams were actively saving tyres for qualifying, but it was interrupted a record six times by red flags, which no one could have foreseen...

      Mario Isola, Pirelli's head of motorsport: "A very unusual qualifying session, both in terms of duration and tyre usage.

      We knew that in terms of pace the difference between the C5 and C6 compounds would be small, varying from car to car and even driver to driver, but the drop in temperature over the course of such a long session led to an even further reduction in the gap. In the end, the choice between the two compounds was more subjective. It seemed that today the Soft compound was more effective, contrary to yesterday.

      The fastest strategy option for Sunday's race will be a one‑stop using Medium and Hard tyres, if there are no red flags. Teams are unlikely to use the Soft tyres in the race, but it cannot be ruled out — for example, if someone wants to run a short first stint and then find themselves on a clear track and run to the finish.

      Obviously, a first stint on Medium or Hard gives greater flexibility, since the race could be neutralised, as we saw in qualifying and in the Formula 2 race. One thing is certain: we're in for an unpredictable race, not least because of the unusual grid order — we haven't seen such an arrangement this season."