Overview

• Pirelli selected C4–C5–C6 for Azerbaijan, with the C6 softest compound offering only about a 0.2s gain over C5 by Pirelli’s estimate.
• Baku’s 2.2km straight cools tyres by roughly 40°C before Turn 1, and a cooler, rainy forecast increased the risk of temperature loss, lock-ups and flat spots.
• Practice running pointed to the C5’s competitiveness, so teams conserved medium sets for qualifying while using the C6 largely for data gathering.
• Qualifying exposed the choice: Charles Leclerc advanced on C5s as Lewis Hamilton was eliminated from Q2 on C6s, saying, “We didn’t have the right tyre on at the end.”
• Recent examples reinforced the approach, with George Russell previously qualifying strongly on C5s at Imola and taking pole in Canada.