2014 United States Grand Prix of F1: Strategy Summary

The Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton used a two-stop strategy to claim victory from second place on the starting grid at the United States Grand Prix and ensure that only he or his teammate Nico Rosberg will win the 2014 drivers’ title. […]

Hamilton started on soft tires and then completed two stints on medium tires to win the race by four seconds: this strategy was used by his teammate. All drivers except Nico Hülkenberg, Daniil Kvyat, and Sebastian Vettel started on soft tires, with Vettel particularly hoping that a different strategy would help him make progress after starting from the pit lane.

The two Williams drivers used a two-stop strategy different from the cars ahead of them, executing two initial stints on softs to maximize their speed early in the race and a final stint on mediums. Daniel Ricciardo also made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves by pitting earlier than his direct competitors (an undercut) and pushing hard during his in and out laps to secure his eighth podium in Formula 1. Alonso had a different school of thought: he was the only member of the top 10 to use a soft-medium-soft strategy.

A safety car during the first laps led some drivers to pit, altering their strategies, like the two McLarens. The most interesting tactic came from Vettel, who did just one lap on soft tires under the safety car, potentially allowing him to finish the race without stopping again. In the end, he made a total of 4 stops, finishing in the points in 7th place.

Summary of strategies for each driver during the 2014 United States GP

Article entirely written from the Pirelli press release