Sprint shootout in Qatar to start later due to tyre problems

There is a problem with the tyres for the Qatar Grand Prix. Cracks were found on tyres used for more than 20 laps after the first free practice session. Pirelli and the FIA have therefore announced that measures will be taken.

Pirelli and the FIA have concluded that driving more laps on the tyres, during the race for example, could lead to damage to the circumference of the tyres. This would result in air loss. Tyres that were on the track for less time had seen a much smaller extent of the problem. The 'pyramid' kerbs lying on the track seem to be the biggest cause of the problems.

Measures taken by FIA and Pirelli for the Qatar GP

For this reason, the FIA and Pirelli have decided to take measures. The track limits in turns 12 and 13 will also be revised. In addition, a ten-minute practice session will be done at 16:00 local time [2:00 PM] for this modification, moving the sprint shootout twenty minutes, to 16:20 [2:20 pm].

Should the problems still remain unresolved after the sprint race later today, drivers will be required to make a minimum of three pit stops during the race, with a lifetime of up to 20 laps [22 laps for used tyres]. This is, in fact, due to the fact that with a used set of tyres, there was always an inlap and an outlap (22 - 2 makes 20).