Red Bull Formula 1 boss Christian Horner says it “doesn’t make sense” to permanently mandate when drivers must pit after the enforced 2023 Qatar Grand Prix experiment.
At the Losail Circuit last weekend, Pirelli discovered microscope failures in the tyre sidewall, a problem brought on by drivers running repeatedly over new kerbs with a 50mm raised edge.
Drivers were forced to employ a three-stop strategy as a result of the tyre manufacturer and the FIA imposing a maximum stint length of 18 laps for the 57-lap grand prix.
However, this was criticized for being overly prescriptive and resulting in a predictable race. According to Horner, F1 shouldn’t feel the need to make it a more permanent fixture in order to avoid the possibility that it will also affect qualifying. Horner agrees with this sentiment.
“I believe that you have to give the freedom, and that creates the creativity,” he said.
“Mandated pitstops? It will have effects on the end of qualifying and how many laps you do in qualifying to save tyres for the race… so that to me, it doesn’t make sense.
“No matter if the race has one, two, or three stops, you want to run it as quickly as you can. Where we need to be is there.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull led from start to finish and beat rookie Oscar Piastri of McLaren by 4.8 seconds to win.
He probably would have won by a bigger margin if he hadn’t slowed down to cover a potential late safety car. This season, Verstappen has been notable for his efforts to conserve tyres while driving the RB19, a feat that has been somewhat lessened by the FIA restrictions.
“From a safety standpoint, I completely understand why they did it,” Horner continued.
“Perhaps strategically, it wasn’t the best course of action for this.”