Components 1 groups, the FIA and tyre provider Pirelli are contemplating mandating a most stint size on the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix to keep away from a repeat of 2024's puncture points, forcing groups to make at the very least two pitstops if accepted.
The Qatar race on the high-downforce Losail monitor has been marred by tyre issues in current seasons. In 2023, stint lengths had been capped at 18 laps on account of issues over the injury carried out to the tyres by Losail's dramatic ‘pyramid' type kerbs, which brought about sidewall separation.
For final yr's race, these kerbs had been floor down and had been now not a difficulty, however there have been nonetheless issues over the massive quantity of what's referred to as volumetric put on. Volumetric put on signifies that the tyre bodily wears down and loses quantity, which means the compound cannot present as a lot safety to the underlying carcass, elevating the potential for punctures. In final yr's race, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz each suffered punctures because of this.
The high-speed corners of Losail are likely to significantly stress the front-left tyre, and the dearth of thermal degradation means drivers can push laborious and bodily put on out the tyres with out shedding an excessive amount of efficiency.
Particles from Valtteri Bottas' damaged mirror was initially suspected to be the reason for two punctures
Photograph by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Photos
Tyre provider Pirelli has now confirmed that talks are ongoing to keep away from a repeat at this yr's version on the finish of November, with one choice on the desk to return to a mandated stint size that may drive groups into making at the very least two pitstops.
“We're nonetheless deciding,” Pirelli engineer Simone Berra stated. “We're talking with FIA, with the groups, with F1, and we are going to take a choice very quickly. In the mean time, there may be nothing formally determined.
“We've the expertise from earlier years. Two years in the past, it was extra a matter of kerbs. Final yr, it was a matter of excessive put on, and volumetric put on particularly. That generated some carcass injury. So clearly, we're taking into consideration all these parameters. The construction hasn't modified an excessive amount of when it comes to resistance.
“We want to keep away from ending up in an identical scenario as final yr, the place the groups had been capable of prolong the stint as a result of they did not have a giant efficiency loss, even operating on the under-thread. And so we're evaluating which choices we've on the desk, and we are going to resolve very quickly.”
Berra confirmed {that a} most stint size “is on the desk”.
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