The FIA and Pirelli have collaborated to avoid a repeat of the tyre fiasco that plagued the 2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix.
Last year’s F1 return to Qatar brought with it a tricky tyre conundrum.
A series of sharp 50mm raised surfaces on kerbs, colloquially referred to as pyramid kerbs caused microscopic separations on the sidewalls of the F1 Pirelli tyres.
The high-speed corner configuration of the layout meant F1 drivers were attacking kerbs more than usual, and an 18-lap maximum stint length was brought in to ensure the safety of all involved.
While this did introduce an intriguing three-stop GP, it is a situation that F1’s governing body has sought to avoid.
What makes things tricky is the fact that the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar is homologated by the FIA and FIM for both four and two-wheeled racing, so any changes must be a compromise to suit all series.
Pirelli has revealed that the 50mm raised edges of the pyramid kerbs have been rounded off at Turns 4 and 10 as well as Turns 12 through 14.
Moreover, a series of gravel strips have been placed behind select sections of kerbing to discourage drivers from pushing to the edge of the circuit.
Pirelli meanwhile, has been running a series of tests on a model of the revised kerbing back at its Motorsport R&D Department in Milan.
The data collected from this will be compared to that found from Testing of Previous Car sessions that have been carried out in Qatar this year.
Hardest true allocation brought to F1 Qatar GP
Due to the punishing nature of the F1 Qatar GP venue, Pirelli has brought the C1, C2 and C3 tyre allocation to the event, its hardest three compounds.
This allocation was previously used at Silverstone at Suzuka, two other circuits with complex sequences of high-speed corners.
Another issue in Qatar is the intense heat, which will be the subject of intrigue for Pirelli’s engineers.
In Vegas, the extreme cold caused significant graining, in Qatar, opposing temperatures will cause just as significant a headache when it comes to thermal degradation.
Also, with this year’s race running at the end of November, as opposed to the beginning of October, the searing heat won’t be as great as it was for the 2023 edition of the Qatar GP.
Instead, conditions could be similar to the inaugural Qatar GP in 2021, which was run on November 21 and saw a select number of drivers employ a one-stop it-stop strategy.
However, that was with the previous generation of F1 cars with wholly different tyres, so there are plenty of unknowns heading into this weekend’s event.
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