Mercedes says the Alternative Tyre Allocation trial that will take place at the Hungarian Grand Prix will definitely add to the Brackley squad's challenge this weekend.
Under the ATA format, each driver will receive 11 sets of Pirelli tyres for the entire event - 3 sets of the Hard tyre, 4 sets of Mediums, and 4 sets of the Soft rubber – instead of the 13 sets normally available on a race weekend.
Furthermore, a mandatory slick compound will be used in each segment of qualifying, with drivers running on Hards in Q1, on Mediums in Q2 and on Softs in Q3.
The alternative format, which will also be trialed at Monza later this year, has been devised as part of F1's sustainability efforts, with the approach creating less waste for Pirelli as it will require less tyres.
"It will definitely add to the challenge," commented Mercedes’ Senior Race Strategy Engineer, Joseph McMillan.
"When it comes to qualifying, we are usually focused on how we get the best out of the soft tyre on a single lap.
"That includes assessing what the optimum tyre preparation is, what the best out lap profile looks like, among other things. We now must think about that for three different compounds."
However, McMillan reckons the teams' task will be slightly facilitated by the fact that Pirelli's selection for Hungary is one step softer than last year.
"They’ve brought the softest compounds possible," he added. "Last year, we saw the C2, C3, and C4 tyres here but this year, we will use the C3, C4, and C5.
"So although it’s the hard tyre, that corresponds to last year’s medium and that will help."
For race day, McMillan believes the format's specific distribution of compounds will increase strategy option.
"With more sets of the Medium and Hard tyre than we usually take, we will likely end up with a tyre allocation for the Grand Prix that looks much nicer than at other races," he said.
"The soft C5 is highly unlikely to be a race tyre. The medium and hard compound will likely be preferred and, with more sets of those to play with, we should be in a better position than usual.
"Normally, we must commit to whether we want a second hard tyre, a second medium, or a soft tyre.
"At several races this year, we have opted to save a second set of new hard tyres for the race. Whilst this does not come into play strategically, it’s a major decision all teams must make.
"This will likely not be the case in Budapest though, and post-qualifying, we will have an ability to select our strategy without some of those limitations we usually have".
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