FIA:
Meeting on Sunday with the teams to decide tire regulations for the Qatar GP.
F1 teams will meet the FIA at 2pm on Sunday at Lusail to discuss whether a maximum race time should be imposed at the Qatar Grand Prix in a bid to ease safety concerns over Pirelli tyres.
The manufacturer announced on Saturday morning that following an analysis carried out during the first day of racing on Friday, it had discovered “micro-tears” in the sidewalls of its tyres, damage that could possibly caused by the rubber repeatedly colliding with the raised pyramid tire. recently installed by Lusail. border.
On Saturday, revised track limit rules were applied to two corners to alleviate the problem, while Pirelli is set to inform the FIA on Sunday morning of the results of analysis carried out following the incident. 19 lap sprint event from yesterday.
Unfortunately, the short race was interrupted by several safety car sections, leaving Pirelli with only 9 green light laps to collect data.
Depending on the results of this analysis, the FIA could impose a maximum relay time for Sunday’s race, which could lead to a three-stop event that could have a significant impact on the order run because all riders will not start the race on an equal footing. in terms of tire and compound inventory. Drivers lacking the new equipment may have to run older soft tires to make the triple stop maneuver or may even be forced to make a fourth stop.
The FIA has made clear that it will only make the results of Pirelli’s latest analysis public after meeting with the teams on Sunday afternoon.
“Like every race weekend, we analyze the sets that are returned to us at the end of the day,” commented Pirelli Motorsport boss Mario Isola.
“Once this procedure is complete, we will pass on our findings to the FIA and, if necessary, further measures will be put in place for tomorrow night’s Grand Prix.
As for tomorrow, it is not worth speculating on strategies, as we have to wait for the results of the current analysis and then see if this has an impact on the course of the race.