Photo: Race Pictures

How strategies might impact Qatar GP outcome despite two-stop rule

07:58, 30 Nov

byTobia Elia

Let’s take a closer look at the tyre strategy options teams are likely to consider heading into the Qatar Grand Prix.

Today’s race will be anything but conventional, shaped by the mandatory two-stop rule reintroduced this weekend for safety reasons.

Each driver is limited to a maximum of 25 laps per stint on any single set of tyres, forcing teams into carefully managed, structured strategies rather than full freedom on race distance.

This means that, on paper, strategies should be more aligned than usual, although teams still have full freedom to choose which tyres to run across the three planned stints.

Pirelli's Soft and Medium compound tyre - Credit: Race Pictures

Among the most likely strategies, teams could opt for a medium-medium-soft approach, with the first pit stop window between laps 21 and 25, and a second between laps 40 and 46 to make it to the finish.

Another option is to start on mediums, switch during the same window to hards, and then run fresher softs at the end. A third possibility is to skip the softs entirely, going medium-hard-medium, this time with an earlier pit stop window compared to the first two strategies.

For those starting outside the top 10, it could be advantageous to begin on hards and run double mediums in the final two stints, roughly within the same windows, or to opt for mediums followed by softs at the finish.

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Is weather going to play a role during the race?

As expected, the weekend hasn’t thrown up any weather surprises so far, with both Friday and Saturday allowing teams to run in completely dry conditions.

Race conditions are also set to be hot, with high temperatures in a Grand Prix that could prove decisive in the championship fight.

Here’s the weather forecast for today.

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