Formula 1 Teams Mandated to Two-Stop Strategy at 2025 Qatar Grand Prix
Lusail, Qatar – Formula 1 teams will be required to execute at least two pit stops during the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix due to a maximum stint length imposed by race organizers, a decision stemming from safety concerns following tire damage experienced in the 2024 event. The rule change, announced today, aims to prevent a repeat of the extreme tyre wear and structural fatigue that led to punctures for drivers Carlos Sainz and lewis Hamilton last year.
The move comes after a review of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix,where several drivers successfully completed the race on a single-stop strategy despite high tyre degradation.While the 2023 race featured an 18-lap maximum stint limit due to practice issues, this year’s restriction is a proactive measure based on analysis of the 2024 race conditions.The decision impacts all ten F1 teams and their race strategies,potentially shifting competitive dynamics and increasing the importance of pit stop execution.
For the 57-lap race, a maximum stint length of 25 laps will be enforced, including laps run under safety car or virtual safety car conditions, excluding formation laps, laps to the grid, and those completed after the chequered flag. Tyre supplier Pirelli will provide teams with specific lap-life estimations for each tyre compound before the race.
Pirelli identified that ”several tyres,particularly the left front,” reached maximum wear levels during the 2024 race,contributing to “structural fatigue of the construction.” To mitigate this risk, Pirelli will bring the hardest compounds in its range – C1, C2, and C3 – to qatar. Each driver will have allocation of two sets of hard (C1) tyres, four sets of medium (C2) tyres, and six sets of soft (C3) tyres, as it is a sprint weekend.
