At Pirelli they continue to experiment

      Pirelli has prepared a somewhat unusual trio of compounds for the US Grand Prix, choosing them non-sequentially. The same approach was used at the Belgian round of the season: the Hard is the hardest compound, C1, but the Medium will be C3, and the softest will be C4.

      As always, the Italian company believes this opens up broader tactical options. However, those expectations were not met in Spa, partly due to the weather, but Austin is expected to be sunny and hot, so the Italian specialists continue to experiment.

      Pirelli emphasized that C3 and C4 are the same compounds that were used at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) a year ago, but C1 is one step harder than the Hard used in 2024.

      Consequently, the speed difference between it and the Medium will be more noticeable, which creates conditions for two scenarios. Drivers who opt for C1 should bear in mind that this tyre is the "slowest" of all, but it offers the greatest stability and, in combination with C3, will allow the race distance to be completed with a single pit stop.

      The second option involves using C3 and C4, which will allow slightly faster laps, but will most likely require an additional pit stop.

      A similarity with the Spa race weekend is that the American round’s schedule also includes a sprint. Accordingly, teams will have only a single one-hour practice session on Friday to prepare for the main events, which is unlikely to be enough, especially for young drivers who have never raced at COTA, and this will be another factor of uncertainty.

      Load on the front and rear tyres at the American circuit is roughly equal, but because it has many high-speed corners and rapid changes of direction, lateral forces acting on the tyres will be dominant.

      The degree of tyre degradation largely depends on ambient temperatures, which are expected to be quite high. Last year in Texas there was heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, and the forecast for the weekend promises similar conditions.

      It should also be noted that on some sections of the lap the asphalt surface has been renewed and become smoother.