Official decision
It took several hours of waiting and reflection, but in the end the FIA, F1 and Pirelli made a decision regarding the holding of the Qatar GP, scheduled for this evening from 7.00 pm Italian time. The drivers in the race they will not be able to drive more than 18 consecutive laps on the same set of new tyresregardless of the type of compound used. Given that the length of the Lusail race is set at 57 laps, this means that teams will have to make at least three pit stops for each car to comply with this precept. Anyone who does not comply with this limit will receive the black flag and will be disqualified. Important note: the 18 lap limit is the maximum life limit for the tire. This means that for used tires the permitted number of revolutions will be lower.
Complicated weekend
Since the beginning of the weekend the teams have had to deal with a abnormal tire wear, also caused by the pyramidal structure of the track’s curbs. It is no coincidence gYesterday the track layout had been slightly modified, with the track limits of turns 12 and 13 having been moved to prevent drivers from arriving with their cars over these dangerous curbs. To complicate the situation there is also the sand, pushed onto the track by the wind which is frequently sweeping the circuit and which obviously makes the grip of the single-seaters even more precarious.
Ineffective Sprint experiment
This decision taken by the FIA obviously favors those drivers who have chosen to sacrifice qualifying and the Sprint race trying to save some new sets of tires to use for today’s Grand Prix. Yesterday’s Sprint race, lasting 19 laps, also did not provide the answers everyone expected. The many Safety Cars that entered the track have in fact reduced the ‘effective’ duration of the laps under the green flag regime just under a dozen. For this reason, the tires of drivers like Leclerc and Hamilton, which were used, were the only ones to be analyzed with some interest after the race, precisely to evaluate their grip.
Security risks
Under the microscope, the same phenomena observed after free practice on Friday afternoon were detected on these tires: due to the vibrations generated by the curbs, the top rubber layer on the tire shoulder gradually separates from the underlying carcass, thus generating an evidently dangerous situation. The one who certainly comes out of this situation with its tail between its legs is the entire Formula 1, the negative protagonist of an event destined to be discussed in the future as well. Precisely with a view to 2024 Lewis Hamilton has even reached suggest having Lusail carry out the pre-season test daysso as to have more data available for the future, given that this track is proving to be the most problematic of the entire calendar for the tires.
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