Pirelli is looking forward to interesting tactical games.

      Qualifying in Barcelona took place in very hot weather, with air temperatures reaching 30 degrees, and similar conditions are expected on Sunday. This means that the asphalt will heat up to 50 degrees or even higher, and Pirelli tire experts predict that we will see interesting tactical games during the race.

      Dario Marrafruschi, Pirelli Motorsport Director: "The teams used the third practice session solely to prepare for qualifying – no one conducted long runs. Instead, everyone focused on speed on a single fast lap, as they would have to deal with that a little later.

      It became clear just yesterday – and was partly confirmed today – that it is impossible to improve lap times on the second attempt due to the high level of thermal degradation. This is primarily due to the record-high temperatures of the asphalt surface. Today it was recorded that it heated up to 53 degrees, which also explains why the lap times were about nine-tenths worse than the calculated ones made on the simulator.

      Regarding tomorrow's race, the likely tactical options suggest at least two pit stops. Teams may start on Medium compound tires, switch to Hard, and then depending on the pace, decide on which tires to use for the final segment of the race – either yellow-marked or white-marked tires.

      It is worth noting that most teams saved two sets of hard tires – on those cars that generate more downforce, the Hard rubber works particularly effectively, although its degradation rate is only slightly less than that of the other two compounds. But there is also another option, which involves starting on soft tires, switching to Medium, and then to Hard in the final stage of the race.

      The three-pit-stop strategy, where three segments must be run on Soft and then switch to Medium at the end, differs only slightly in time from the other approaches. However, considering the issues with traffic and the need to make overtakes, it is unlikely that many teams will choose this option in advance."