Not for the first time, five-time world champion Mercedes is slightly out of step with its rivals. While the majority of teams take nine, or even ten in the case of Renault and Haas, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will take just 8 sets of the C3 softs to Suzuka next week for the Japanese Grand Prix. Pirelli is taking the hardest tyres in its range to Japan, the C3, C2 and C1, the same combination used previously in Bahrain, Spain, Britain and Belgium. On the other hand the Silver Arrows takes four sets of the medium, while most take two or three, and Nico Hulkenberg just one. With the exception of Hulkenberg, George Russell and the Racing Points, who all take two sets, the teams take...
Full Story »