Just how do the Formula One teams and drivers pick what tyre compounds they want for a track that they have never visited before?
That was the conundrum set for the teams and drivers ahead of the inaugural trip to Azerbaijan and the City of Baku as they host the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe this weekend.
Whilst the drivers have been able to familiarise themselves with the track layout, with formula1.com publishing a video previewing the new track, that doesn’t give away how bumpy the track could prove to be, how the track and the Pirelli compound tyres are likely to react, or even what the weather will be like which would also affect the tyres.
With that in mind, teams have appeared to play it safe, with three compounds available. The white-marked medium, the yellow-marked soft, and the red-marked supersoft.
Unlike in Canada where some teams opted not even take one of the compound tyres, in Azerbaijan everyone is very even split amongst the three sets of Pirelli rubber.
There is a slight variation at Mercedes with Nico Rosberg opting for two sets of medium, with Hamilton going for just the one set. That leaves Hamilton with one additional set of soft compound tyres over his team-mate, with both taking 8 sets of super soft.
Hamilton’s combination has been replicated at Red Bull Racing, Renault, Toro Rosso and with Guttierez at Haas, whilst Haas team-mate Grosjean has replicated Rosberg.
At Ferrari, both Vettel and Raikkonen have gone for 1 set of medium, 5 sets of soft and 7 sets of super soft, as has Felipe Massa at Williams and both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button and McLaren.
Valterri Bottas at Williams has gone for 2 sets of medium, 4 sets of soft and 7 sets of super soft, a combination that Force India and Manor have also selected.
Sauber are the only team to go with just 6 sets of super soft, with Ericsson going for 2 sets of medium and 5 sets of soft, whilst Nasr has gone with 1 set of medium and 6 softs.
Who has guessed correctly?
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