2017 Japanese Grand Prix tyre strategies and pit stops

2017 Japanese Grand Prix

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The Japanese Grand Prix was tipped by many to be the first dry race in a while where drivers would need to make more than one pit stop.

2017 Japanese GP in pictures
With track temperatures exceeding 40C – more than 20C higher than they’d been in practice and qualifying – it seemed more than likely. But when the chequered flag fell it was clear a single stop had been the way to go – few drivers pitted twice and none of those who did scored points.

So what changed? The early Safety Car period was significant. It helped push drivers towards sticking to a one-stop strategy. With the midfield being compressed by the Safety Car, the front runners knew an early pit stop would leave them stuck in traffic.

On top of that the amount of time spent behind the Safety Car also reduced the demand on the tyres for several laps, making it easier for drivers to eke them out to a one-stopper.

Even so some of them experienced substantial tyre degradation at the end of the race. Max Verstappen experienced particularly severe front-left tyre wear.

2017 Japanese Grand Prix tyre strategies

The tyre strategies for each driver:

Stint 1Stint 2Stint 3Stint 4
Lewis HamiltonSuper soft (22)Soft (31)
Max VerstappenSuper soft (21)Soft (32)
Daniel RicciardoSuper soft (25)Soft (28)
Valtteri BottasSoft (30)Super soft (23)
Kimi RaikkonenSoft (28)Super soft (25)
Esteban OconSuper soft (20)Soft (33)
Sergio PerezSuper soft (21)Soft (32)
Kevin MagnussenSuper soft (19)Soft (34)
Romain GrosjeanSuper soft (23)Soft (30)
Felipe MassaSuper soft (17)Soft (35)
Fernando AlonsoSuper soft (25)Soft (27)
Jolyon PalmerSoft (39)Super soft (13)
Pierre GaslySuper soft (22)Soft (17)Super soft (13)
Stoffel VandoorneSuper soft (9)Soft (25)Super soft (18)
Pascal WehrleinSoft (2)Super soft (1)Soft (22)Soft (26)
Lance StrollSuper soft (4)Soft (31)Super soft (10)
Nico HulkenbergSoft (38)Super soft (2)
Marcus EricssonSoft (7)
Sebastian VettelSuper soft (4)
Carlos Sainz Jnr

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2017 Japanese Grand Prix pit stop times

How long each driver’s pit stops took:

DriverTeamPit stop timeGapOn lap
1Max VerstappenRed Bull22.62021
2Lewis HamiltonMercedes22.7240.10422
3Lance StrollWilliams22.7360.11635
4Romain GrosjeanHaas22.7810.16123
5Valtteri BottasMercedes22.8760.25630
6Felipe MassaWilliams22.9560.33617
7Kevin MagnussenHaas23.0650.44519
8Nico HulkenbergRenault23.1990.57938
9Pierre GaslyToro Rosso23.3440.72422
10Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren23.3990.77934
11Stoffel VandoorneMcLaren23.4300.8109
12Lance StrollWilliams23.4750.8554
13Sergio PerezForce India23.6341.01421
14Kimi RaikkonenFerrari23.6991.07928
15Daniel RicciardoRed Bull23.7961.17625
16Esteban OconForce India24.0781.45820
17Pierre GaslyToro Rosso24.4131.79339
18Pascal WehrleinSauber24.4241.8042
19Fernando AlonsoMcLaren24.6362.01625
20Pascal WehrleinSauber24.9182.2983
21Pascal WehrleinSauber24.9522.33225
22Jolyon PalmerRenault25.6182.99839

2017 Japanese Grand Prix

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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One comment on “2017 Japanese Grand Prix tyre strategies and pit stops”

  1. As always, the drivers were nursing their tires in order to get away with just one stop. Two stops may have been faster, but also much riskier, so one stop was the preferred strategy.

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