Motorsport picture
Beware those that declare easy options to complicated issues.
After three grands prix within the 2025 season received from pole place, and a processional race in Japan held in circumstances of tactical stalemate, an thought has taken root within the F1 paddock that this state of affairs might simply be resolved by imposing a minimal variety of pitstops – that determine, after all, to be better than one.
Commercial
There’s precedent. On the Qatar GP in 2023, the FIA and Pirelli set a most stint size, in impact making it a minimal three-stop race, and in February this yr the World Motor Sport Council ratified a minimal of two stops at Monaco, come rain or shine.
Race motion
Race actionSteve Etherington / Motorsport Pictures
Steve Etherington / Motorsport Pictures
Whereas the outcomes of the Monaco experiment are but to be seen, that Qatar race supplied just a few knowledge factors. Although received from pole, the race was deemed successful by the opinionati.
All via that season the sensitivity of Pirelli’s tyres to thermal degradation – dropping efficiency rapidly when pushed too exhausting, significantly in sizzling circumstances – had been blamed for a scarcity of overtaking. And, to an extent, Pink Bull’s dominance.
Commercial
Qatar was the primary grand prix the place drivers had been in a position to push exhausting all through a stint as a result of every one was so brief. On the face of it, that is precisely what drivers had been asking for – an finish to races dictated by tyre administration – and lots of of their bosses agreed.
“I’d prefer to have extra races like Qatar the place you simply go flat out,” stated workforce principal Toto Wolff on the finish of the season. Although we should always maybe qualify this sentiment by reminding readers that Verstappen received the world championship in Qatar, rendering the next 5 races (together with a triple-header and a double-header) an exhausting procession of lifeless rubbers.
Every time anybody holds up a particular race as an exemplar it ought to set off the alarm bells, for it was the bizarre circumstances of the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix that dictated what now we have immediately. Again then, Bridgestone’s capacity to supply tyres you could possibly push all day was perceived because the villain of the piece, and the topsy-turvy weekend in Montreal demonstrated what might occur if degradation got here into play.
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4/25
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4/25 Sutton Pictures
Sutton Pictures
Commercial
“All races must be like this,” commanded F1 ‘ringmaster’ Bernie Ecclestone, Pirelli duly delivered on temporary, and right here we’re – with drivers endlessly moaning about degradation and wanting tyres they will push on all race. It should be dizzying to pivot by 180 levels so typically whereas attempting to fulfill unmet wants.
Whereas mandating a particular variety of pitstops appeals via its simplicity, it comes freighted with unexpected penalties and is a really coarse manner of attempting to impress adjustments within the operating order. It’s akin to the participant of a board sport making an attempt to vary a dropping trajectory by throwing the items within the air to see the place they land.
Given related automotive efficiency, overtaking is all the time going to be fraught with issue – which is why groups are naturally inclined to protect monitor place by minimising the variety of stops they make. There’s additionally the opportunity of pitcrew errors. Forcing the groups to make extra stops actually will increase the chance of stops not going in response to plan, however this can be a crude lever to drag.
Having a prescribed variety of stops can also be more likely to cut back strategic variation quite than put it on the market, since Pirelli has been obediently and industriously attempting to cut back thermal degradation and the consequences of warmth stress on its tyres.
Commercial
Thermal degradation is an element of core temperature over lengthy stints and is completely different to the phenomenon of dropping efficiency from nook to nook as a result of the motive force has induced the floor temperature to ‘spike’ by frightening the automotive into slides. This is the reason so many at the moment are completely satisfied to be in Bahrain, the place thermal administration, previously the bogey issue, is now extremely fascinating within the context of the Japanese procession.
In Qatar in 2023 there was a good quantity of strategic variation – Verstappen and on the entrance row began on used mediums, in third on softs – however the important thing influences on this had been the tyres accessible and the potential for the newly laid monitor floor to induce graining on contemporary tyres. In any case the Mercedes drivers collided with one another on the first nook, rendering the purpose moot.
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing leads in the beginning
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing leads in the beginning Pink Bull Content material Pool
Pink Bull Content material Pool
Commercial
Additionally, at the moment there was a much bigger step in efficiency between Pirelli’s C1 and C2 tyres – the exhausting and medium – and the C1’s tendency to require a number of laps to achieve the appropriate temperature window had an enormous affect on technique. This yr, as directed, Pirelli has narrowed the hole between these compounds.
To create overtaking alternatives and engineer the business rights holder’s desired ‘peak finish impact’ – a cognitive bias the place spectators are likely to price a race’s general pleasure in response to the occasions of the previous couple of laps – the tyre efficiency must be extra differentiated. This helps to create the type of races the place drivers making two stops have sufficient efficiency in hand to chase down and move these making one.
“It is a bit of a multitude, in case you ask me,” was ’s verdict on the matter within the pre-Bahrain press convention. “What creates overtaking, for my part, is to have a delta [performance differential] to the automotive in entrance.”
This was maybe the frankest admission to date by a present F1 driver that they’d been given what they needed . Positive, there have been extenuating circumstances – colder than anticipated ambients, a brand new floor on a part of the monitor that diminished the necessities for managing tyres there. However with out the supposedly hated degradation there have been no alternatives to move.
Commercial
Sainz additionally identified the inherent weak spot of imposing a minimal variety of pitstops.
“Should you go along with the three hardest compounds on a monitor like Suzuka, for instance, you may have flat-out racing with the three compounds, and pitstop laps all the time kind of the identical – all of us stopped on one lap,” he stated. “I believe you’ll not get a tyre delta or an overtaking delta.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull RacingAndy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
“So for me it is extra about attempting to verify the race is all the time between a one- and a two-stop, as a result of like that you’ll have groups attempting to do one-stops with excessive degradation and different groups operating sooner on a two-stop to attempt to overtake and make it to the flag.”
Commercial
The query is whether or not Pirelli can engineer this. In the intervening time there may be little room to manoeuvre as a result of the tyre compounds have been established for the yr. The producer can alter the allocation for particular races, however this can’t be finished on the fly as a result of the tyres are shipped by sea to cut back F1’s carbon footprint.
“What we are able to do, it’s simply engaged on the tyre compounds allocation,” stated Pirelli’s Simone Berra when requested by Motorsport.com what may very well be finished to engineer situations the place the selection between one and two stops is extra nuanced. “To attempt to, let’s say, change a bit bit the scenario.
“Clearly it’s additionally tough for us to foretell the climate – for instance in Suzuka we had low temperatures, however one other yr we might have greater. Possibly even 15 levels greater.
“And this has an enormous affect on tyre efficiency and degradation, as we’ve seen right here in Bahrain. Clearly, after we attempt to cut back the overheating and thermal degradation, following the feedback from drivers, then we might find yourself with conservative tyres – particularly firstly of this season with a brand new vary which seems too conservative.
Commercial
“That’s why, for instance, we’ve determined to be a bit bit much less conservative for the following races, ranging from Jeddah. We have now 4 races in a row the place we’re going one step softer than final yr, to make issues – let’s say – a bit harder for the groups, however much more attention-grabbing for the present.
“We’re engaged on it – it’s necessary to gather all of the suggestions, not just for the allocation for the second a part of the season, but additionally the event we’re going to have within the coming weeks for the brand new compounds for 2026.”
As ever, it’s a case of being cautious what you would like for.
