Ferrari sees 'huge' tyre strategy battle in Portuguese GP

Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies believes the outcome of Sunday's Portuguese GP will likely be decided by a "huge" strategic battle between those drivers starting on mediums and their soft-shod rivals.

For Portimão, Pirelli nominated its three hardest compounds, a choice many teams came to regret this weekend given the relatively cool conditions prevailing in the Algarve, and the track's low-grip characteristics.

In theory, a start on the medium tyre followed by a switch to the soft rubber before the 66-lap race's midway point represents the best option.

But Mekies reckons that circumstances could potentially also favour those - like Ferrari's Carlos Sainz - starting on the red-walled soft compound while the more durable but slower hard tyre could also come into play.

"We think it's going to be a huge fight between the cars starting on softs, and those starting on mediums," said the Scuderia sporting boss, whose team has split its options, with Leclerc launching his race on mediums.

"It obviously looks like a one stop race but how long is the soft going to be able to go?

"Then you have the guys starting on medium that for sure will have a better first part of the race, but then they will probably have to fit the harder at some stage of the race.

"Then the question will become before the end: how slow is the hard compared to the guys that will now be on mediums?

"So I think it's going to be super interesting to see how that develops. Nobody has the answer. I think it will be very close between the various combinations."

• Read also - 'Feeling of progress' with Ferrari validated by lap times

Up front, Mercedes and Red Bull will see both their drivers start on the medium compound. However, the two squads won't share the same allocation in the race, having run different programs in free practice.

In the Mercedes camp, poleman Valtteri Bottas and teammate Lewis Hamilton will not have a single set of new hard tyres at their disposal.

And over at Red Bull, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have already used up their full allocation of new soft rubber.

Drivers will be working overtime around Portimão's challenging track, but ultimately it's the men on the pitwall that may decide their fate, one way or the other.

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