How does Pirelli intend to spice up action at Texas with its bold tyre choice?

Ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix, Formula One's sole tyre manufacturer Pirelli has announced that there will be an extra step between two compounds in order to create new strategy options.

Following the Singapore Grand Prix, drivers and teams head to a very different venue this weekend, with Austin, Texas set to play host to the second round in the U.S.A this season. The race, which takes place at the Circuit of the Americas, has been on the calendar since 2012.

The United States Grand Prix will be the second race of the season for which Pirelli is bringing three non-consecutive compounds, the last time being Spa-Francorchamps and the available tyres will once again be the C1 as Hard, the C3 as Medium and the C4 as Soft.

In Belgium, bad weather meant it was not possible to find out how this choice might have affected strategy and so the event in COTA could be the first real test of this choice, which sees the use of a harder Hard than last year at the American track, while the Medium and Soft are the same.

The increased performance difference between the hardest compound and the middle one should, theoretically, give rise to two scenarios. If drivers prefer the C1, the slowest but also the most consistent of the three, then they could run a one-stop race combining it with the C3. On the other hand, using the latter along with the C4, with its improved resistance to degradation, would produce quicker lap times but would almost certainly require two stops.

Another similarity with the Belgian round is that Austin is also running to the Sprint format, which means teams only have one hour to try the various options over long and short runs, which could add to the uncertainty as to how the weekend might pan out.

15 drivers started last year’s race in Austin on the Medium tyre, including the trio that made it to the podium, while the remaining five went with the Hard C2. The Soft was never really an option on race day, with only Alpine’s Esteban Ocon fitting it on the last lap to pick up a precious extra point in its battle with Williams, for setting the fastest time.

The most popular strategy was a one-stop, with only a handful of drivers on a planned two-stop, as well as Albon who had to pit after just three laps. Although the Medium showed significant signs of wear in the Sprint, in the main event drivers managed to extend the stint with careful management, helped by a Safety Car period, despite the weight from being on full tanks. Less graining than on the previous day also made the one-stop more effective.