SILVERSTONE ANALYSIS: Why tyre management was key to winning the Sprint Race

It was an excellent few days at Silverstone for Campos Racing with Mari Boya coming out on top in a wet Feature Race.

This made it an English double for the Spanish outfit after Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak claimed his and Thailand’s first FIA Formula 3 win in the Sprint.

READ MORE: Several drivers penalised following Silverstone Feature Race

But just how did the Campos driver do it on Saturday? Well, it had a lot to do with tyre management. Not just his, but also from the others around him, and here’s how…

MAKING THE STRONG START

With 30 cars in F3, being at the front is always preferrable, and for Inthraphuvasak, making sure he stayed in the lead from reverse grid pole was key.

The Thai driver did just that, making a clean getaway, while Théophile Nael had an excellent start from fourth to overtake Christian Ho down the Wellington Straight for second.

But there was an early Safety Car, with Brando Badoer and Nikola Tsolov having collided at Turn 4, leaving the PREMA Racing driver stranded in the gravel.

Racing resumed on Lap 5, but those three laps behind the Safety Car would have helped the Hard tyres last longer, but they still required some managing.

BACK TO RACING

Once the action got back underway, Inthraphuvasak was having to hold off Nael, while behind them, Martinius Stenshorne made a decisive move to the inside at Turn 4 on Ho for P3.

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At the end of Lap 5, the top three were the only drivers in the 1:48s, with Nael the quickest of the trio. The VAR rookie’s 1:48.373 was over a tenth faster than the other two.

Nael improved to a 1:47.541 on the next lap and overtook Inthraphuvasak for the lead. The Campos driver and the rest of the top 10 all stayed in the 1:48s, as the Frenchman looked to get out of DRS range.

The VAR driver stayed in the 1:47s on Lap 7, but this time he was joined by Inthraphuvasak, who after the race said:

“I saw that he was pushing really hard behind. He got passed me and from that point on I tried to manage, but I stayed within DRS of him so that he doesn’t pull away too much.”

Stenshorne also improved his time by a tenth to a 1:48.010 looking to stay with the top two.

THE TIMES BEGIN TO DROP

Nael’s next two laps were in the 1:48s as the rest of the field settled into management. But on Lap 10, VAR called on him to give back the place to Inthraphuvasak after they believed he had overtaken him off track.

FEATURE RACE: Boya takes Silverstone win after rain and Red Flag

From Lap 11 to 13, the majority of the drivers fighting for the points were all in the 1:49s, but if you look close enough, this is where we began to see the signs of struggle.

Nael was eight-tenths slower than Inthraphuvasak on Lap 13, who completed a 1:49.107. That was at least three-tenths quicker than any driver in the top 10. Only Ivan Domingues and Tuukka Taponen, in 18th and 19th respectively, matched the race leader.

This was partly the Campos driver looking to pull away – which he did as by the start of Lap 14, he was 1.4s clear out in front.

But it was also because of Nael’s struggles, as he could be seen sliding around through the corners, especially at Copse.

Stenshorne, who had managed his tyres better, eventually made his way past his VAR rival for P2 into Stowe corner. On that lap, the Hitech TGR driver and Inthraphuvasak were in the 1:49s, while Nael was a second of the pace with a 1:50.579.

THE FINAL FEW LAPS

Stenshorne had clearly kept his tyres in great shape. On Lap 15, he completed a 1:48.976, three-tenths quicker than Inthraphuvasak.

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By not pushing too early, he had pace in hand towards the end, while Nael slipped into the clutches of Laurens van Hoepen and Boya by doing a 1:50.280.

Nael eventually lost P3 to Boya – before two penalties dropped him to P19 in the final classification – but Stenshorne remained in the 1:48s on Lap 16 and 17.

On Lap 16, the McLaren-backed driver took another three-tenths out of Inthraphuvasak, who responded matched him with a 1:48.9 on Lap 17 to keep the Hitech car out of DRS range.

In the end, Inthraphuvasak crossed the line to win by 1.7s, giving him a deserved victory.

WHY WAS THIS POSSIBLE?

On the road, Nael finished fourth but his pace dropped off massively and he lost a second a lap to Inthraphuvasak from Lap 12 onwards.

The Thai driver and Stenshorne had clearly managed their tyres well early on, opting against pushing too hard at the start, so that they could have some performance at the end. Their ability to dip into the 1:48s proved that.

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It was the same for Boya, who finished third. The Spaniard had consistent pace throughout, starting in the 1:48s and only dropping into the 1:49s late in the race.

No matter the compound or the circuit layout, tyre management is a key skill for the drivers, and if you master it, you will be rewarded.