The Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA) that debuted in Hungary and was successfully repeated in Monza could become a rule in the 2024 championship: there is a proposal under discussion in the F1 Commission to dictate the tire compounds to be used in qualifying (hard in Q1, medium in Q2, and soft in Q3) at all events except for sprint race weekends.
The experiment, initiated by the FIA and Pirelli to reduce the number of tire sets brought to the track during race weekends, has yielded positive results. The new format, known as “Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA),” made its debut in Hungary and was repeated at the Italian Grand Prix, receiving favorable feedback from teams, drivers, and everyone involved in the sport.
“I think it’s working well,” confirmed Mario Isola at the end of the Monza weekend. “Then, like everything, it can be refined, for example, by considering an additional set for the FP2 session, reducing the number of sets available for the race from seven to six. Personally, I believe the qualifying session with this format is much more interesting because the drivers have to adapt quickly to different levels of grip.”
The next step will be to present the possibility of extending the ‘ATA’ format to all races in the 2024 championship, except for the sprint race weekends, to the Formula 1 Commission.
By imposing tire compounds for use in qualifying (hard in Q1, medium in Q2, and soft in Q3), the total number of sets allocated to each driver during weekends with the ‘ATA’ format drops from thirteen to eleven, resulting in savings in terms of usage and, especially, transportation.
Without any significant drawbacks, the goal is to propose and approve the format in the Formula 1 Commission, making it effective for nineteen of the twenty-four weekends in the 2024 season.
One of the current topics of discussion in the paddock is the need to simplify the current regulations (technical and sporting) to make the management of race weekends more manageable and comprehensible.
In this context, one proposal regarding tires is to use the same number of sets (eleven) even in sprint race weekends, which currently allow for twelve. According to several insiders, the use of the three mandatory tire compounds in the two qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday could be maintained even in sprint race weekends.
With this formula, the FIA would find it more manageable to allocate sets session by session, aligning the number of sets at eleven in all championship events. At the same time, it would be easier for fans and spectators to understand, thanks to a standardized format in all qualifying sessions.
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