The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix will feature a restriction on the maximum number of laps that each tire set can complete during the race weekend. This decision, made in agreement with the FIA and Formula 1 and discussed during regular meetings with the teams, was officially confirmed today by Pirelli through its usual technical document containing event-specific prescriptions, which is sent two weeks prior to each Grand Prix.
This is not a new measure for the Lusail circuit. In 2023, both the FIA and Pirelli had imposed a mandatory double pit stop to address an issue caused by the shape of certain curbs. At that time, the tires had suffered micro-tears on their sidewalls.
Last year, thanks to track modifications—specifically the rounding of the pyramid-shaped curbs and the addition of gravel strips on their outer edges—the double pit stop requirement had been removed. However, the number of tire failures during the race (with Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton among the most affected) brought back the problem of excessive tire wear, which exposes the internal construction of the tires to risk.
Hence, the return of the double pit stop. Pirelli explained: “Each set of tires delivered to the teams at the start of the race week will be allowed to complete a maximum of 25 laps on the Lusail circuit, a track that is extremely demanding in terms of energy, thermal stress, and tread wear. The laps will be counted cumulatively across all on-track sessions, including any laps completed under safety car conditions.”
Laps completed during reconnaissance, formation, or after the checkered flag in the Sprint and Grand Prix sessions will not be included. Considering that the Qatar GP is scheduled for a total of 57 laps, this will inevitably require each driver to make at least two pit stops. Pirelli will inform the teams of the remaining laps for each set of tires before the Grand Prix.
“This measure was necessary following analyses of the tires used in 2024,” Pirelli added. “Last year, several tires—particularly on the front-left—had reached their maximum wear limit. This, combined with high lateral loads, intensified fatigue on the tire construction. Teams, in an effort to reduce the number of pit stops, had to carefully manage tire degradation, controlling performance drop-offs while sometimes risking extending stints beyond the tires’ usable life.”
As previously announced, the hardest compounds of the Pirelli range will be used for the Qatar weekend: C1 as Hard, C2 as Medium, and C3 as Soft. Being a Sprint weekend, each driver will receive 2 sets of Hard, 4 of Medium, and 6 of Soft tires.
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