Italian GP: Pirelli predicts straightforward one-stop strategies in race

Formula 1's tyre supplier elected to bring the hardest compound rubber to Monza - and has stuck with the narrower gauge construction that it also utilised in Belgium last weekend.

Those choices mean that the tyres are not being punished too badly by the high-loads at Monza, and Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery is in no doubt that Monza will not require multi-stops.

"We will definitely be on a one-stop strategy," he explained. "There are very low levels of wear. In the first session we had some front right tyre, inner shoulder wear, going through Parabolica.

"But after a few modifications wear levels were very low, and are pretty close to being able to do a full race on the hard tyre.

"So it will be a one-stop strategy. There is 0.3 to 0.5 seconds difference between the two compounds, and degradation on the hard tyre was almost minimal. The medium tyre was starting to degrade after 12-14 laps, so it is quite a conservative situation compared to some of the races this year."

The one-stop strategy is less than Pirelli's constant target of producing races with two stops, but Hembery said that it would have been too much of a gamble to have brought softer compounds.

"We have had one or two teams who have had a tendency for blistering problems this year; so that means we have had to be on the cautious side," he explained.

"Our offices are only 10 kilometres down the road; so the last race you want to have a problem is at our home grand prix.

"It is always one of those things at Monza where you can be wise after the event - but if you have eight cars that have got major blistering problems you don't know how they can manage the race. That is not what you want to have at Monza.

"Everyone involved in our business knows Monza can cause tyre problems. No matter what category you are in, braking from high speed puts such a load on the shoulder of the tyre that you get overheating and blistering. We cannot test on these cars; we couldn't come here to simulate what might happen, so we were slightly cautious."