Pirelli goes a step softer for this weekend's British Grand Prix

As the midpoint of the season sees Formula 1 return to Silverstone where it all began 75 years ago, F1's sole tyre manufacturer Pirelli will supply teams with softer compounds than last year.

There is an important change to the compound choices for this event. In fact, Pirelli has gone with the C2 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft, which is a step softer than last year.

The Milan-based tyre supplier noted that the aim was "to create a wider range of strategy options for the race. In 2024, when the C3 was the Soft, it was used by just a few drivers in the closing stages of the race following the rain."

This year, as the Medium, it is bound to play an important role, probably in several phases of the race. For those aiming for a one-stop race, the stints will have to be managed very carefully, while accepting a longer total race time. Also a consideration in this equation is the fact that the time taken for a tyre change is not very long (around 20,5 seconds) and while challenging, overtaking is possible.

As for the strategies from last season, all dry compounds and the intermediates were used during the 2024 British Grand Prix. 17 drivers opted to line up on the starting grid on the Medium, the only exceptions being Ocon and Zhou who preferred the Soft and Perez, who had to start from pit lane on Hards.

The C2 proved effective, allowing the drivers to push even on the full fuel load from the start, as well as allowing them to manage the complicated conditions created when it started to rain. Furthermore, the Medium also provided greater flexibility in terms of when to make the first pit stop, given that the threat of rain was there even before the start.

Next, it was time for the Intermediate to take centre stage when the crossover moment arrived. Those, such as Leclerc and Perez, who had chosen to switch early to the green-banded tyres, found that they had to come in again for a new set when the really wet conditions set in, as their original set had worn out.

However, the rain was never as intense as it had been the previous day in FP3, which meant they wore more quickly as the track dried out. The final part of the race saw all three dry compounds perform on equal terms. Among the leaders, it was clear to see that the various car-driver-tyre compound packages all worked well: Hamilton won for Mercedes on the Soft, Verstappen had the best pace in the Red Bull on the Hard, while Piastri was very competitive in his McLaren on the Medium.