F1 drivers have their say on two-stop strategy rule enforced for Qatar GP

10:18, 28 Nov

byTobia Elia

F1 drivers have shared their thoughts on the new mandatory double-stop rule introduced this weekend in Qatar.

A few days ago, Pirelli confirmed that tyre stints at the Qatar GP will be limited to a maximum of 25 laps to ensure safety, in light of issues that have emerged in previous editions.

This means the race will inevitably be run as a two-stop strategy, given the scheduled distance of 57 laps.

Max Verstappen: 'It does fix the strategy a little more for everyone'

The Dutchman believes the double-stop rule could give him an advantage over a traditional strategy, though he prefers not to commit fully before assessing the RB21’s performance and balance on track.

“Maybe it will (give an advantage), but I think it's just important to see throughout the weekend how the car is reacting,” he told GPblog. “I have no idea at the moment how good or bad we are going to be on balance tires, but it does fix the strategy a little more for everyone while still giving you opportunities to pit earlier or later because of the limit.

“Before the weekend, you're always like, ‘Now it's gonna be boring,’ but it might not be boring. Who knows?”

Photo: Race Pictures

Kimi Antonelli: 'Better to be safe than sorry'

The Mercedes driver also believes that strategies will tend to flatten out and become more uniform for everyone, given that all teams will be required to make at least two stops.

“I think strategy is going to be much more straightforward for everyone with the 25-lap limit. Also, tyre pressure has increased, so that might impact the balance a little bit and how the tyre behaves. But you don’t want to end up with a puncture or a tyre failing during the race because it’s very painful to do a lap on three wheels. Lewis even won a race on three wheels, but you just don’t want that to happen because it might screw your race.

“So, I can understand the concern — it’s better to be safe than sorry. Obviously, it’s going to change the race and how the tyre allocation works, but other than that, I think the strategy will be more straightforward. So probably it’s going to be a more flat-out race, which is not a bad thing.”

Carlos Sainz: 'I don’t think it would work in the future'

The Spaniard believes that this system doesn’t have much of a future and that having a fixed number of mandatory pit stops isn’t a viable solution for the future, except from a safety perspective.

“I think it’s a temporary thing, this 25-lap limit here only for Qatar. I don’t think it would work in the future to put a forced two-stop limit. I’ve seen some comments saying that. I think the races are the best when you have a variety of strategy and it’s between a one and a two, or between a two and a three.

“But it’s never good when it’s a forced two-stop like we saw in Monaco or here a few years ago, when it was almost like a three-stopper or a four-stopper mandated. Because in the end, everyone has the same degradation, same tyres, it’s not like you can do much with flexibility.

Carlos Sainz - Photo: Race Pictures

“I think the future solution of F1 is having more of a variety of strategies that can work, rather than a mandated number of stops. But I think for here it’s just purely reliability, and we will see.”

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