Tyre degradation may be a concern during the race on Sunday, as hot temperatures are forecasted to continue for the rest of the weekend. Friday’s sessions saw some high tyre degradation and similar conditions on Sunday could place a high important on tyre conservation.
Current forecasts show that the track temperature may decrease slightly near the end of the weekend, but may still remain fairly high. This increases the stress on the tyres at this extremely fast circuit. Although higher temperatures can improve grip, many teams reported high tyre degradation on Friday.
Tyre saving may play an even larger role on Sunday, as the teams will have the chance to use the supersoft tyre compound at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the first time. Although the supersoft tyres will be faster, they will not have the life of the other compounds and will fade away quicker.
Pirelli’s motorsport director, Paul Hembery, confirmed the high tyre degradation on Friday and the potential importance of tyre saving, saying: “If the hot weather continues, as we saw some quite high degradation today, tyre management will be very important on Sunday.”
