Spain – Race: Strategy Summary

The tire strategy played a key role in the Spanish Grand Prix, won by Pastor Maldonado’s Williams. This is the British team’s first victory since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix. The Venezuelan became the fifth different winner in five races and as many teams this year.

Maldonado started from pole but was overtaken by Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso, making his first stop on the 11th lap. The biggest gainer of the first stint was Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), who went from last to fourth position before switching to hard tires on the 14th lap.

With cooler temperatures (23°C in the air and 32°C on the track), the operating window of the hard P Zero Silver tire was optimal, making it the preferred choice for most teams. The other choice, the soft P Zero Yellow compound, offered a significant performance advantage and was primarily used for qualifying and the start of the race, with all drivers beginning on these tires.

The key to Maldonado’s victory was his second stop two laps earlier than Alonso to switch to hard tires. This allowed him to run fast laps and overtake the Ferrari, which pitted on lap 26. From then on, the Venezuelan was able to control his advantage with a three-stop strategy, also adopted by Alonso. After his last stop, Maldonado finished the race on P Zero Silver tires to complete the final 25 laps and win with a 3.1-second lead over Alonso, who was also on hard tires.

Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus) finishes in third place, also making good use of the hard tires fitted during his third and final stop for an 18-lap stint, closing in on the leaders in the last ten laps. He finishes less than a second behind Alonso at the end of the race. Räikkönen adopted a different strategy compared to the two drivers ahead of him, using soft tires twice at the beginning of the race, before completing two stints on hard tires.

In contrast, Hamilton was the only one to attempt a two-stop strategy, finishing eighth. A result achieved in the final lap, for someone who started from the 24th position after being disqualified from the qualifying session.

Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull finishes the race in sixth place after four pit stops, including a drive-through penalty, but retains the lead in the championship along with Alonso. This is the tightest season start since 1983, and the event also marks the first victory by a native of Venezuela.

Paul Hembery, Director of Pirelli Motorsport: With Pastor Maldonado starting at the front after Lewis Hamilton was relegated to the back of the grid, it was set to be a fascinating race, and it was, thanks also to tire strategies. Maldonado and Williams were fast from Friday’s practice sessions, consistently making the most of both compounds throughout the weekend. The last ten laps were a fantastic duel between him and Alonso, less than a second separating them on similar strategies. Both managed the tires perfectly, avoiding dropping out of the optimal window despite heavy pressure for the win. The tires contributed to making the race extremely entertaining and tense, but as the official supplier, we always adhere to the desires of the teams and promoters. Our future developments will be dictated by their wishes. For the sport, we think it’s fantastic to have five races, five winners, and five winning cars, especially if it involves such a deserved victory as Pastor and Williams today.

Summary of Pit Stops during the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix:

To have a better understanding of this chart, you can use the lap-by-lap summary from the FIA by clicking here.