FIA enforces three pit stops for Qatar GP amid tyre concerns

Qatar GP: FIA enforces three pit stop rule for race amid safety concerns over tyres Drivers will have to make at least three pit stops during Sunday's Qatar GP; there will be a maximum limit of 18 full laps per stint; newly-crowned world champion Max Verstappen starts on pole; watch the Qatar GP live at 6pm on Sky Sports F1, with build-up from 4.30pm Last Updated: 08/10/23 2:51pm Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explains why the FIA is revising track limits at the Qatar GP weekend amid safety concerns over tyres FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explains why the FIA is revising track limits at the Qatar GP weekend amid safety concerns over tyres The FIA has confirmed that all drivers will be obliged to make at least three pit stops during Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix amid "safety" concerns over tyre wear. After tyre manufacturer Pirelli raised the alarm following Friday's practice session, further analysis from Saturday's 19-lap Sprint led the sport's governing body to implement a limit of 18 laps for each stint, which means at least three pit stops will be required in the 57-lap contest.The FIA said that three Safety Car interruptions - and consequent reduction of full-speed running - during the Sprint meant the data it planned to gather during the Sprint was "insufficient" in terms of offering a different conclusion to its previous analysis. When drivers have used sets of tyres fitted to their cars, previous laps done on them will be subtracted from and reduce the running allowed in that stint.The FIA and Pirelli will inform teams before the race of how much running they are able to do on each set of tyres at their disposal, while any car exceeding tyre-lap limits will be reported to the stewards as being run in an unsafe condition.The combination of the high-speed nature of the Losail International Circuit and its 'pyramid' style kerbs is putting heavy stress on the tyres, and even a changing of track limits at Turns 12 and 13 for Saturday's Sprint action did not sufficiently reduce the potential danger long stints could pose. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player The best of the action from a dramatic Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix The best of the action from a dramatic Sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix An FIA statement on Sunday said: "Due to the frequency of Safety Car interventions in yesterday's Sprint, the tyre data available for analysis by Pirelli was insufficient to add to that already undertaken following previous track sessions."In some cases, tyres that were analysed from the Sprint did show the initial onset of the separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords of the tyres."As was the case in Free Practice 1, this issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm 'pyramid' kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs."The ruling is set to add drama to the 57-lap contest, which newly-crowned world champion Max Verstappen will start on pole position ahead of Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.Verstappen sealed his third successive drivers' title in Saturday's Sprint as he finished second to McLaren's Oscar Piastri, with the shortened race suggesting that the medium tyre compound is far more effective than the soft on the newly-laid surface.FIA: No complaints on Qatar trackSpeaking to Sky Sports F1 on Saturday, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis explained that the event organisers have done nothing wrong with regards to the layout of the Losail International Circuit."To be clear, the kerb used is of an FIA specification," Tombazis said. "The track have done a good job to put it together, all of the surfacing, we've got no complaint against the track. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Max Verstappen is crowned world champion after Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez crashes out of the Sprint Max Verstappen is crowned world champion after Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez crashes out of the Sprint "They've used all the guidelines, but these interactions between tyres and kerbs can be very complicated and can depend on a lot of relatively subtle details, which obviously these indicate that now we need to do more research there to improve the situation further, both from a tyre and a kerb point of view."We did consider modifying the kerbs, but in the time we had from very late last night until today, that would not have been possible. It was not one or two single kerbs, it was quite an extent, they would all have had to be filed off, and with very hard concrete that would not have been possible."On that basis, the next thing we got was to actually get the cars to stay a bit further away from the kerbs, whic