Hamilton did 30 laps on the super soft. Thats approaching 1 stop territory. Need to find another 10 laps or so on the soft and you could scrape a 1 stop. And that's on the tyre destroying Mercedes, 1 stop should be childs play for everyone else. Hell, given the Merc's reputation they should be able to do the entire race on the super soft and come in on the last lap for the soft tyres.
It is, but not if you go out and put in 1 and a bit qualifying laps into the supersoft, which will likely take a huge amount of life out of them.
The problem Merc have had particularly in two races already, was aiming for the wrong strategy and then changing. If they need to two stop, then get that right at the start and aim for two stop pace, blast away as fast as possible at the start, burn the tyres to dust and then pit and fly around the track on the new tyres. If they go around stupidly slow, go longer while everyone else pits and catches them, then they have to pit twice anyway they'll do badly.
Monaco is just easy on the tyres, very few high speed corners, with the tunnel being the only one really, not massively high speed, whoever said they were expecting the supersofts to last only one lap was utterly deluded.
Barcelona is basically the worse track of the season for tyres, and Monaco basically the best. THere is a reason Alonso said Merc were favourites, he's not stupid(though would naturally underplay his chances slightly, but wouldn't say Merc were favourites and look a fool if they came 10th), they have an excellent chance at pole and the advantage at the single hardest track to overtake with the least tyre wear, it absolutely favours Merc.
This track will always favour the pole sitter, life happens, punctures, rain, smacking barriers, its no certainty that pole means win, but there is a good shot. I'd say once again that if Merc can lock out the front of the grid, get into the first corner, I'd give one of the pair an excellent chance.
Lotus are most likely to one stop, Ferrari slightly less so, the real question would be 40-50laps on the soft tyre, vs guys coming up behind with 20 lap old tyres at the end, there is a higher chance there of being able to overtake, but not a hugely higher.
