Isola: Interlagos always delivers surprises

      Over the course of the weekend many drivers complained about the tyres' behaviour at Interlagos, but after the race everyone at Pirelli was satisfied...

      Mario Isola, Pirelli's Motorsport Director: "Interlagos always delivers surprises and gives us fantastic races. Last year the rain added to the spectacle, and this time we saw a variety of strategic options which, combined with the unique characteristics of this circuit, led to even more overtaking than usual.

      Max Verstappen impressed again, rising to the podium after starting from the pit lane – the reigning world champion never ceases to amaze. Congratulations to young Kimi Antonelli for defending his second place, and, of course, to Lando Norris for a superb victory after starting from pole.

      As expected, the drivers favoured the Soft and Medium compounds, and the most common strategy was a two-stop. The level of tyre degradation, together with periods of an actual safety car and a virtual safety car early in the race, pushed teams towards that choice.

      The Hard tyres were barely used, as they were very slippery on a surface from which the rain had washed away the layer of marbles. The choice of pit-stop lap varied for each driver, which affected tyre behaviour, encouraged overtaking and, as a result, gave us a fantastic spectacle.

      The two drivers who completed the Grand Prix with a one-stop had to manage their tyres especially carefully. Nevertheless, Liam Lawson and Nico Hülkenberg showed today that a one-stop strategy can also be entirely justified.

      We have not seen such a variety of strategies for a long time – from one to three stops using different compounds, which allowed drivers to score points in a race run on a dry track."