Paul Hembery says Pirelli has nominated the soft and medium compound tyres for the Belgian Grand Prix in the hope of creating an exciting race.

The soft and medium combination has not been used in the last two races at Spa, with the medium and hard chosen in 2013. However, while the soft tyre is likely to be an obvious choice during qualifying, Hembery says the length of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit adds an extra dimension to strategy and opting for the softer pairing than previous years could mix up strategy.

"Spa is one of the most epic circuits of the year, and a track we know well from our experience of GT racing at the Spa 24 Hours too," Hembery said. "An adaptable tyre is the key element, able to work equally well within the very wide range of track and weather conditions that we often see in Belgium.

"Despite the fact that tyre wear and degradation is traditionally high at Spa - the result of the multiple energy loadings put through the tyres - we have been able to nominate the soft tyres here as well as the medium for the first time since 2011, with the softer option liable to be the preferred choice in qualifying due to a significant time gap.

"This is because of the length of the lap, meaning also that strategy is a very big factor in Spa: there is more time to be won and lost by being on the right tyre at the right time than at many other venues. It's the sort of race where, under the right circumstances, it's absolutely possible to go from last to first - and that always makes for a very exciting grand prix."