Formula 1 teams, the FIA and tyre supplier Pirelli are considering mandating a maximum stint length at the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix to avoid a repeat of 2024’s puncture issues, forcing teams to make at least two pitstops if approved.
The Qatar race at the high-downforce Losail track has been marred by tyre problems in recent seasons. In 2023, stint lengths were capped at 18 laps due to concerns over the damage done to the tyres by Losail’s dramatic ‘pyramid’ style kerbs, which caused sidewall separation.
For last year’s race, those kerbs were ground down and were no longer an issue, but there were still concerns over the huge amount of what is called volumetric wear. Volumetric wear means that the tyre physically wears down and loses volume, meaning the compound can’t provide as much protection to the underlying carcass, raising the possibility of punctures. In last year’s race, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz both suffered punctures as a result.
The high-speed corners of Losail tend to particularly stress the front-left tyre, and the lack of thermal degradation means drivers can push hard and physically wear out the tyres without losing too much performance.
Debris from Valtteri Bottas’ broken mirror was initially suspected to be the cause of two punctures
Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images
Tyre supplier Pirelli has now confirmed that talks are ongoing to avoid a repeat at this year’s edition at the end of November, with one option on the table to return to a mandated stint length that will force teams into making at least two pitstops.
«We are still deciding,» Pirelli engineer Simone Berra said. «We are speaking with FIA, with the teams, with F1, and we will take a decision very soon. At the moment, there is nothing officially decided.
«We have the experience from previous years. Two years ago, it was more a matter of kerbs. Last year, it was a matter of high wear, and volumetric wear especially. That generated some carcass damage. So obviously, we are taking into account all these parameters. The structure hasn’t changed too much in terms of resistance.
«We would like to avoid ending up in a similar situation as last year, where the teams were able to extend the stint because they didn’t have a big performance loss, even running on the under-thread. And so we are evaluating which options we have on the table, and we will decide very soon.»
Berra confirmed that a maximum stint length «is on the table».
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