Cameron Roberts, a British strategist just 28 years old and part of Ferrari’s race strategy operations group, explains how teams will approach the special regulation introduced for this Qatar Grand Prix, a rule that limits tyre usage across the full weekend. At the Lusail International Circuit, fans should not expect a tactical or conservative race: everything points toward a flat-out fight from start to finish.
Cameron Roberts joined Ferrari’s Racing Division in 2020 straight out of university through the F1 Engineering Academy. Despite his young age, the Poole-born engineer has already worked in several key departments, first in Mathematical Modelling — now evolved into AI Modelling — before becoming a full member of Ferrari’s race strategy operations.
He breaks down the unique challenges of the Qatar GP, where Pirelli and the FIA have agreed on a strict rule: no tyre set may exceed 25 laps over the entire event. This has a major impact on the strategy landscape.
How the 25-lap cap will influence race strategies
Cameron Roberts explains: “The 25-lap limit for each tyre set means that drivers will be forced to make at least two pit stops. We had something similar in 2023, when the limit was set at 18 laps, so the race required a minimum of three stops. Teams now have several scenarios to evaluate. On the one hand, they can stop early and protect track position, while on the other they can extend the stint in the hope of a Safety Car.”
He adds: “The second option is definitely the riskier one, but it potentially opens the door to gaining multiple positions. With shorter stints, the drivers can push harder without worrying about tyre management. The downside is that this approach reduces the number of strategic options available and makes qualifying even more crucial, because overtaking in Qatar is not particularly easy.”
What to expect from the Qatar Grand Prix
Cameron Roberts continues: “We have already seen tyre management play a role in Qatar — Fernando Alonso in 2021 extended his first stint significantly to make a one-stop strategy work — but Qatar is not Monaco, and I don’t expect to see drivers holding up the pace to create pit-stop windows for their teammates. Instead, it’s more likely we’ll see something similar to 2023: drivers pushing harder because they have to complete shorter-than-usual stints.”
He concludes: “We should already get a preview of this dynamic in the Sprint, where drivers will probably push flat out for all 19 laps.”
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