Mercedes F1 team worried as Monaco hypersoft-avoiding tactic fails
Mercedes could now struggle to match its Formula 1 rivals' one-stop strategies in the Monaco Grand Prix after its bid to avoid using the hypersoft tyre failed
Amid doubts over the longevity of the hypersoft, several teams considered using the ultrasoft in Q2 so they could start on it and having greater strategy flexibility for the race - including potentially an ultrasoft/supersoft combination that would avoid the hypersoft completely.
A one-second delta between the hypersoft and ultrasoft meant it was always going to be a risky ploy, and only Mercedes tried it.
But neither Lewis Hamilton nor Valtteri Bottas could produce a quick enough lap on their first Q2 runs with the ultrasoft so had to join the rest on hypersofts to guarantee reaching Q3.
"We were keen to try to find out whether we could qualify on the prime, because starting the race on the hyper will be tough," said Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff.
"We've seen a lot of graining on the front left, and we've seen some degradation on the rear.
"Probably the one who is in the lead is going to manage the pace very carefully in the race tomorrow, and still run out of tyre after a few laps.
"It could be quite a tricky situation and you would want to avoid the hyper."
Bottas said it was worth trying the ultrasoft gamble as "against the hyper we could do a long stint and create nice opportunities", but is concerned a one-stop race will be hard now Mercedes is committed to the hypersoft.
"I think we can do a relatively long stint with the ultra," he said.
"Small issues with graining, but nothing compared to the hyper.
"We struggled quite a lot in practice, so honestly starting with the hyper it is going to be difficult to do a one-stop.
"It is quite steep degradation once it happens, and it is a funny tyre.
"Once it happens it really happens and you lose so much suddenly within one lap.
"Very quickly you can lose more than one second, so once it fully grains between one and two seconds is the loss."
He added that Mercedes calculated it was "one tenth" from being fast enough to get into Q3 on ultrasofts.
Bottas ended up fifth on the grid, with Hamilton third.
Wolff felt Hamilton's result in particular was the maximum possible for Mercedes in Monaco, and shrugged off its relative weak form on the street track as a price worth paying to be quick elsewhere.
"We started off solid, we did the right experiments, and the drivers extracted the pace of the car," he said.
"All of us believe that this is the pace of the car around Monaco.
"You have to be realistic with your car. We're trying to achieve the best car for 21 races to come out with the most points, and therefore you have to compromise with some of the circuits."
Haas forced to remove fragile bargeboard parts for Monaco GP
Verstappen says Monaco GP was looking "very easy" before crash
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further
Does Verstappen have any weaknesses left?
Having extended his Formula 1 points lead with victory in Canada, Max Verstappen has raised his game further following his 2021 title triumph. Even on the days where Red Bull appears to be second best to Ferrari, Verstappen is getting the most out of the car in each race. So, does he have any weaknesses that his title rivals can exploit?
How F1's future fuels can shape the automotive sector
In 2026, Formula 1 plans to make the switch to a fully sustainable fuel, as the greater automotive world considers its own alternative propulsion methods. Biogasoline and e-fuels both have merit as 'drop-in' fuels but, equally, both have their shortcomings...
The breakthrough behind Sainz’s best weekend of F1 2022 so far
OPINION: Carlos Sainz came close to winning in Monaco but needed that race’s specific circumstances for his shot at a maiden Formula 1 victory to appear. Last weekend in Canada, he led the line for Ferrari in Charles Leclerc’s absence from the front. And there’s a key reason why Sainz has turned his 2022 form around
Canadian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Plenty of high scores but just a single perfect 10 from the first Montreal race in three years, as Max Verstappen fended off late pressure from Carlos Sainz. Here’s Autosport’s assessment on the Formula 1 drivers from the Canadian Grand Prix
Why “faster” Ferrari couldn’t beat Red Bull in Canadian GP
On paper the Canadian Grand Prix will go down as Max Verstappen’s latest triumph, fending off late pressure from Carlos Sainz to extend his Formula 1 world championship lead. But as safety car periods, virtual and real, shook up the race Ferrari demonstrated it can take the fight to Red Bull after recent failures