Following the checks on Friday, Pirelli identified issues with the tires, realistically caused by the new curbs installed in Qatar for this year’s event. As a result, the FIA has implemented emergency measures: an additional practice session with modified track limits will be held in the afternoon, which will postpone the sprint shootout. Furthermore, if any issues arise, a maximum stint duration may be imposed, along with a minimum number of pit stops during the race.
From the beginning of the weekend, several drivers have expressed concerns about the configuration of the curbs, which were redesigned after problems in 2021 led to multiple punctures in both qualifying and the race.
There was considerable anticipation to see how the tires would react to the new configuration, particularly considering the high loads they experience in the high-speed corners on this track.
After a standard analysis of the tires used during yesterday’s Free Practice 1, the only session in which the tires were used with some continuity, Pirelli identified some problems. Specifically, during safety parameter checks, separation between the compound and the carcass was found on the shoulder of many of the inspected tires.
Following these analyses, both the Italian manufacturer and the FIA have concurred that the issue could reoccur if a set of tires is used for more than twenty laps, potentially leading to air loss. However, the analyzed tires that completed fewer laps than the twenty-lap threshold showed a much smaller extension of the issue.
The initial indications suggest that the problem might have been caused by a new curb design, which was redesigned for this weekend’s event. Given the drivers’ tendency to ride the curbs as much as possible to gain a time advantage, there’s a risk of a hazardous situation for the tire sidewalls.
This problem has prompted the FIA to urgently change the Saturday track action plan, including an additional practice session to evaluate the situation.
In its statement, the Federation declared that several measures have been taken to prevent potential issues over long distances. First, track limits at turns 12-13 have been adjusted, and, therefore, an extra ten-minute session will be held at 16:00 local time today to allow teams and drivers to get familiar with these changes.
As a result, the start of the sprint shootout has been postponed by twenty minutes and will now commence at 16:20 local time. The schedule for the night sprint race at 20:30 local time in Qatar remains unchanged.
After the sprint race, a further tire analysis will be carried out to determine if any safety-related interventions are required for the Sunday Grand Prix. If Pirelli identifies additional risks, the FIA might impose a maximum tire usage for the Sunday race.
According to the FIA’s description, stints should not exceed twenty laps for new tires, with this threshold increasing to 22 laps for used tires, accounting for out-laps and in-laps in qualifying. The extreme measure would be to mandate a minimum number of pit stops. As per the statement, “all drivers would also be required to make at least three pit stops for tire changes during the race.”
Pirelli and the FIA will conduct thorough research and simulations to pinpoint the root causes of this issue with certainty and work on solutions to avoid it in the future.
Before the Qatar Grand Prix, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda had expressed his concerns about the aggressive curbs introduced this year. “It’s the transition between the curb and off-track. Driving on the curb won’t be a problem, but once we exit the curbs, there will be a sliding effect. It’s not smooth at all, and especially driving here, with high-speed corners where the car is really low, will be challenging. Even a single occurrence could be quite costly.”
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