Korean GP: Pirelli says one-stop strategy possible

The track surface and layout of the Yeongam track poses a difficult challenge for the teams, with getting the tyres into the right operating window a bigger challenge that dealing with degradation.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery believes that could mean strategy being fairly straightforward in Sunday's race.

"Here it is quite a strange circuit because it looks like a permanent normal fast circuit but the surface itself is like a street circuit," he said. "It is very smooth, so there are low wear levels.

"From the tyre point of view, the structure comes under relatively heavy loads in terms of braking and laterals, but the compound itself is worked quite lightly which is why we came with the soft and super soft.

"Last year, people suggested that decision was quite crazy and we would have five or six pitstops - and we saw there were two.

"That will be replicated this time around, possibly with people looking at a one-stop race."

Hembery said the laptime difference between the super soft and soft tyres is between 0.2 and 0.6 seconds depending on the car - which makes it possible that some of the teams at the bottom end of the top 10 in qualifying may elect not to go for a laptime on the super soft.

"That is absolutely possible," said Hembery. "It is that close - as you might be able to go a vast majority of the race on the soft tyres. The rear tyre could probably do the whole race, as here you are front limited."