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Free Reign Sees Drivers Pick Ultra Soft Tyres For Monaco GP

Free Reign Sees Drivers Pick Ultra Soft Tyres For Monaco GP

It's the first time they've been allowed to pick their whole allocation.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Tyre selection was all the rage on Sunday in Barcelona and heading into Monaco next weekend they're even more in the spotlight as drivers get to pick their entire allocation for the first time.

Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix a lot of drivers complained about issues with Pirelli's hard tyre and it was no surprise to see them unused during the race.

Even on Sunday tyres had a big part to play as Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes picked the medium to do the middle stint before the softs held out at the end of the race.

Tyre degradation could determine the winner next Sunday. Image: PA

In Monaco next weekend on a circuit that is known for the difficulty to pass anyone on the track it will be extremely important drivers look after their tyres.

The street race is the first time this season that drivers can pick all 13 of their tyre compounds and the ultra soft is the overwhelming favourite with no one picking less than nine sets of the purple tyres:

Image: Formula One

Jenson Button, returning to racing for the first time since his 'retirement' at the end of the last season, is the only driver to pick more than one set of the soft compound.

Button is only in the McLaren for the race because his former teammate Fernando Alonso is racing in the Indy 500.

The two teams at the front of the grid, Mercedes and Ferrari, have gone with slightly different mixes of compounds to each other.

Mercedes chosen nine sets of the purple 'ultras' and three of the red 'super' while both Ferraris have gone for a 10-2-1 split.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images