Pirelli is bringing softer rubber to Interlagos this weekend, marking up the entire allocation by one step — C3 hard, C4 medium, C5 soft — compared to last year's Sprint weekend range. The move comes as fresh asphalt between Turns 3-5 and 8-9 throws a variable into the degradation equation. Twelve months ago the C2 hard slid and the softer compounds shredded quickly enough to force two-stop races despite teams hoping otherwise. Now the baseline is a full step grippier on a partially resurfaced track that no one has raced on yet. Friday's three practice sessions become data-gathering runs to map how the new pavement bites and how long these softer compounds hold up under race load. Interlagos doesn't torture tires with massive lateral loads, but degradation has historically decided races here, and rain remains a wildcard. If the new surface grips harder early and the softer range wears faster, expect pit strategy to swing the order more than qualifying position.
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