Whereas the Mexican Grand Prix supplied a uncommon mixture of methods, lots of the current races have adopted a well-known sample. George Russell described F1 as a race to Flip 1, with soiled air turning into extra of an element once more and groups favouring probably the most conservative technique – the one-stop.
This yr’s Pirelli tyres are extra strong than in earlier seasons, permitting drivers to push extra, but in addition lowering tyre degradation. It has eliminated some key strategic variables for groups.
“I feel Pirelli will get a tough time it doesn’t matter what,” Russell mentioned when requested by Motorsport.com. “If there’s a number of tyre degradation, individuals say it is not actual and drivers cannot push. When there is not any tyre degradation, we are saying it is a boring race.
“So realistically, you desire a tyre you can push full gasoline, however that does not go the entire race. In case you may select, you’d desire a tyre you can go flat out on, however after 15 laps it falls off a cliff.”
The final 5 races have all been gained with a one-stop technique. If altering climate circumstances in Silverstone and a late security automobile in Zandvoort are excluded, the final race gained on a two-stopper was the Austrian Grand Prix.
Earlier makes an attempt to encourage two-stop races have fallen flat
Pirelli has experimented with softer tyres in comparison with final yr, and skipping compounds in its tyre allocation – comparable to bringing the C1, C3 and C4 as an alternative of three consecutive compounds.
In each instances, groups nonetheless made a one-stop work technique by managing the tyres extra. It was the case in Austin as nicely, the place everybody besides Alex Albon accomplished the race with only a single pitstop, regardless of Pirelli’s step in compounds.
Alexander Albon was a uncommon two-stopper in Austin
Picture by: Simon Galloway / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“Groups at all times maximise what they’ve, and which means they attempt to scale back the variety of pitstops,” Pirelli’s motorsport supervisor, Mario Isola, mentioned. “It is sensible as a result of throughout a pitstop you may make a mistake and if you return on observe, you may get in visitors and lose further time.
“Groups at all times attempt to minimise the variety of pitstops as a result of they do not care concerning the present.”
To probably enhance that “present”, some within the paddock have advised mandating two pitstops by rules. It’s precisely what Max Verstappen mentioned in Baku – arguing that forcing two stops continues to be higher than bringing a tyre (C6) that in his view is “ineffective”.
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“What we’re doing is attempt to make one thing good for the present,” Isola advised Motorsport.com. “And I imagine {that a} two-stop is best for the present as a result of you may have extra unpredictability. However you’ll be able to’t drive anybody until we settle for that two pitstops are outlined by regulation.”
Mandating two pitstops should still not be sufficient
The dialogue has gained some momentum in current weeks and got here up through the Mexico GP drivers’ briefing. In line with the FIA, the subject was on the agenda for this week’s Sporting Advisory Committee (SAC) and Motorsport.com understands it is going to be mentioned within the F1 Fee as nicely.
The FIA stresses that concepts are removed from concrete but, though a number of groups – and Liberty Media – would not less than be prepared to discover the choices for subsequent yr.
“Sure, we spoke about this a number of occasions,” mentioned Isola. “I do not forget that final time we had some simulations from the groups. We had a chat with the opposite stakeholders, with the FIA, F1, and the groups, and mentioned, okay, if we choose these three compounds for occasion A, B, C, D, E, what’s the predicted technique for you? We requested the groups to make these simulations and are available again to us – not making this public, however solely offering the data to us.
“What we realised is that almost all of the groups have been converging on the identical technique, as a result of you may have a mushy that is ready to run 5 laps, a medium that’s good for 20 laps, and a tough that may go longer. They have been mainly replicating the identical technique. So, if you put extra constraints, the chance is that everybody goes in the identical route.”
Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, Mario Isola, Director of Pirelli F1
Picture by: Reginald Mathalone / NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs
Extra pitstops would create extra undercut alternatives, however not essentially extra selection.
“The most effective races are those by which the two-stop has a bonus, however somebody courageous can nonetheless strive a unique technique,” Isola added. “We had instance of that in Monza final yr, when Charles [Leclerc] was in a position to win on one cease and others have been on two stops. It was like that in Spa with George as nicely, however sadly, this does not occur each time.”
Two stops with out compound restriction a greater choice?
If F1 decides to maneuver in the direction of two obligatory pitstops sooner or later, a number of choices are on the desk. One doable route can be the two-stop requirement however take away the mandate to make use of totally different compounds.
“We will additionally take into account two stops with none obligation to make use of totally different compounds, so then they will use no matter they need,” Isola defined.
“You are able to do medium, medium, medium you probably have the tyres. If you’re on the again, you most likely wish to begin on the hards since you wish to go longer in the beginning of the race. If you’re in the course of the grid, possibly you wish to begin on the softs and do away with some visitors. There are a lot of mixtures.”
This, Isola suggests, would create extra strategic selection – one thing the compound rule would possibly stop even with two stops. Nevertheless, he emphasised that such plans would nonetheless want extra analysis if it is one thing the FIA, F1, and groups actually wish to pursue.
Tyres within the McLaren storage
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
“My private suggestion – it’s not me making the rules, so I can simply speak from my expertise and what I’ve seen in 15 years – is that if there’s a frequent settlement or thought for the longer term, that we establish a variety of races and ask the groups to simulate,” Isola mentioned. “If we select this, what’s your response? Then we’ll see if they arrive again with totally different approaches. And in the event that they do, that’s most likely the way in which to go.”
“Don’t threat to break what we’ve now”
Nevertheless, there are two issues as F1 prepares for the 2026 season. First, the experiment with two obligatory stops hasn’t been an important success in Monaco, though Isola responds: “We should not take Monaco for instance, as a result of there you had the chance of going off-road,” he referred to drivers chopping the Nouvelle Chicane.
These in favour are extra inclined to have a look at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, by which two stops have been obligatory for security causes. Together with the intense warmth, it brought on bodily issues for some drivers, however the thought of drivers pushing with out tyre administration is interesting to Liberty Media.
The second query is whether or not adjustments are wanted in any respect if the brand new automobiles can observe extra carefully in 2026. Soiled air ought to be much less of an element beneath F1’s new rule set, which may make any intervention untimely.
“Perhaps, however I do not know,” Isola mentioned. “Normally, if we wish to take into account a regulation change, we should always work collectively to keep away from sudden penalties.
“Subsequent yr, as you mentioned, is all totally different. We do not know what to anticipate, however when we’ve an thought, there’s not less than a chance to react. However we should always take into account that we’ve championship now, so do not take the chance to break what we’ve.”
A possible two-stop rule will likely be mentioned additional in upcoming conferences – with all events requested to stay open-minded at this early stage.
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