F1 2011 Race strategy (Focusing on tyre degradation)

[btk]

Seems, myself included, that the majority of people are going for 50% race distances. I was looking for peoples advice on tyre stategies.
In the tyre selection screen there is no indication what the information you are given means. Say an Option tyre reads "1.0" outside the tyre symbol I am assuming it is 100% new tyre. A "9.0" on the inside of the tyre symbol I assume is an indication of the amount of laps the tyre can do. So if I start a race of 28 laps long I should get to lap 27 using 3 sets of new options.

It seems that the drop off in performance of option tyres is happening around the 60% mark in most instances but I tend to get say 5 laps of the possible 9 before I start to "fall off the cliff". In practice after 5 laps on the option the symbol inside the tyre reads "5.8" and the tyre is at 60% but I have obviously done more than 40% of the 9 lap life span.

I can't seem to figure out what these figures actually mean so on starting a race I simply have to go out on the option tyre and come in for the option and then finish on the prime because I don't know how many laps I'll get from the option tyre. If I new for sure I could only get 15 quality laps from the options I could work the prime stint into my strategy how i wanted.

Can anyone shed some light on the information presented regarding tyres and the strategys they employ in the races!!

Many thanks in advance guys and happy racing!!!

 

[Jasjeet Suri]

You dont really have to plan from the start, just like in F1 today most strategic decision based on tyres is done on the spot. You dont need to call in for a pit so you can judge by yourself in the race, if the tyres start to go off depending on how manly laps youve done you can make a judgement on whether to run 3 stops or 2 stops. AI will probably beat you easily if you run a 3 stop though.

If you really want to plan it, do your own testing with max fuel load in practise and see how many laps you can do on each type of tyre.

 

[btk]

Thnks Jas
Your right about the 3 stop strategy, there just isn't enough laps on 50% distances for another set of options to be effective.

Do you have any thoughts of what the numbers on the tyre selection screen indicate.

Cheers

 

[Jasjeet Suri]

I thought the numbers meant exactly what you had in the OP.

 

[James Chant]

Well, a 50% race, the tyres will be scaled to 200% wear, so comparing in practice wont help, as they will be scaled at 100% (normal)

Race distance and tyre wear are relative.