In a nutshell: which tyres for the Austrian GP?

After Baku's old world and medieval backdrop, Formula 1 heads to the scenic mountains of Styria and the short but always challenging Red Bull Ring.

As opposed to Azerbaijan, Canada and Monaco, the Austrian circuit is an entirely permanent venue: a chopped down version of the mythical Osterreichring.

This gives the track an old-school feel, and a lot of it is visible from any vantage point; it’s one of the shortest laps of the year.

The three softest tyres in Pirelli’s Formula 1range will be used in Austria: P Zero Yellow soft, P Zero Red supersoft and P Zero Purple ultrasoft.

These should be well-suited to the rollercoaster Spielberg layout, providing the right compromise between warm-up, performance and durability.

"The natural selection for this type of circuit is the three softest compounds in the range," explains Pirelli's head of car racing, Mario Isola.

"Having said that, we’ve seen in the past that Austria also has the capability to spring a few surprises.

"When we get there we’ll see if one stops or two are more likely, but it will be important for teams to build someflexibility into the strategies as well.

"Longitudinal forces –so traction and braking –are the key aspects in Austria, rather than cornering."

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