What are the likely strategies for the frontrunners?
As was the case in Spain, all of the frontrunners are starting on the softest compound tyre. Nobody could afford to risk a run on the mediums because of the close nature of the field, with every bit of lap time crucial and a lowly starting position particularly damaging on a track where it’s close to impossible to overtake.
We’re usually talking about Red Bull and Mercedes as the frontrunners, but it’s Charles Leclerc on pole position and Lewis Hamilton is down in seventh, and that in itself poses issues for those fighting for the win.