‘Artificial’: Formula One pit stop rule change to ‘destroy race’ at Qatar Grand Prix
A major change has been implemented ahead of the second last race of the F1 season, a move that spells disaster for Aussie Oscar Piastri.
The Qatar Grand Prix is set to look completely different in 2025 with a mandatory two-pit stop rule change being introduced.
Tyre supplier Pirelli have implemented the mandatory rule which has thrown a cat among the pigeons for every teams’ race strategies.
The 57-lap race last year around the Lusail Circuit was won by Max Verstappen with a one-stop strategy.
The Red Bull maestro went into the pits for the first time on lap 35 following a safety car and didn’t need to go in again.
That won’t be an option this time around with the tyres having a maximum limit of 25 laps per stint.
It’s the second time this season a mandatory two-stop strategy has been implemented with the first coming during the Monaco Grand Prix.
The change for the upcoming race has been deemed necessary due to the nature of degradation the tyres suffer around the high-speed circuit.
While the change will mean the race becomes an even more strategical battle and could see more overtakes due to drivers having fresher tyres throughout, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says the rule will “destroy” the Grand Prix.
He pointed to races in Brazil and Mexico where tyre degradation forced teams into a strategic battle of choosing to run long with one-stop or push and go for two or even three stops.
“I don’t agree with those artificial limits,” he said in Las Vegas.
“I guess it’s just Pirelli scared from last year, right? One-stop race, and Pirelli probably thought, ‘Surely they’re not going to go this time. Oh no, they’re going’. So they just put this artificial limit so that it’s impossible to do a one-stop race.
“But for me, I don’t think it’s right that we have to do that in a sport. You know, we’re talking quite a lot about, you know, avoiding one-stop races, but to put something artificial, like you saw in Monaco and you saw in Qatar one year, I think it will destroy the race.”
The controversial rule change comes with the drivers’ standings coming down to the final two races of the season.
Lando Norris leads the battle with 390 points with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen tied on 366 points.
A double McLaren disqualification following the Las Vegas Grand Prix ensured the championship race remained on with Verstappen threatening to steal it away and win his fifth straight crown.
Former F1 champ Jacques Villeneuve believes the major change to the Qatar Grand Prix will see McLaren make a mistake with the team not wanting to give priority to either Norris or Piastri.
Villeneuve believes it will not only hamper McLaren, but will play massively into the hands of Red Bull.
“I would still put my money on Max Verstappen to be this season’s champion,” Villeneueve said to CanadaCasino.ca.
“But just by a very small margin, because of his experience, because of the fact that McLaren has two drivers now fighting for the championship and they can’t yet use one to help the other.
“When you have to be on the defensive, you make the wrong call. Can they make a super-aggressive call on (Lando) Norris that would also damage (Oscar) Piastri? They can’t. You will second-guess yourself and make the wrong strategy because of that to try and stay balanced.
“And Red Bull can play on that. They can put the pressure on that. So in that aspect they have the advantage. They just have the points disadvantage. The McLaren is still a faster car. Norris really has his A game out right now. So does Verstappen. It will be fun to watch.
“If, for example, Piastri gets taken out on the first lap, then that’s when it will become tougher for Verstappen because McLaren can then really focus on strategy. It will be so interesting and intricate.”
With 58 points still on the table thanks to Qatar’s sprint race and then the final two races of the season, the championship is still up in the air … although Norris has one hand on the title.
The Brit can wrap up his maiden championship crown by finishing the weekend with a 26-point margin in the standings.
Simply put he just needs to score two points over Verstappen and Piastri to be crowned champion ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris can also get the job done by outscoring his rivals by one point, provided he wins the Qatar Grand Prix.
In that scenario he would win on countback even if Piastri went on to win the final race of the season. Both drivers would then be on eight race victories, but Norris would get the edge thanks to finishing second eight times compared to Piastri’s three.
The Qatar Grand Prix will take place on Monday, December 1 from 3am (AEDT).
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Originally published as ‘Artificial’: Formula One pit stop rule change to ‘destroy race’ at Qatar Grand Prix
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