Qatar’s kerbs revised to prevent 2023 tyre problems

The race around the Lusail International Circuit last year saw mandated stint lengths from the FIA after Pirelli observed micro-lacerations in the tyre sidewalls, as a result of the circuit’s aggressive 50mm high pyramid-style kerbs. This meant that each driver completed three pitstops over the grand prix.

Max Verstappen exits his pit box at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. — Max Verstappen boxed three times over the 2023 Qatar GP. Credit: Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images.

Looking to prevent a repeat of this this year, Pirelli and the FIA have worked together to find a solution and the peaks of these pyramid kerbs have been rounded off at seven of the track’s sixteen corners: the first two, turns 4-10 and 12-14, a section of the circuit that already puts increased stress on the tyres.

A sample of these new, flatter kerbs has been tested extensively by Pirelli’s R&D engineers in Milan but also by some F1 teams at recent Pirelli tests in Lusail, albeit running pre-2024 cars. The data acquired from these tests has indicated positive results from the revised kerbing, though of course the big test will come as the 20 drivers take to the track on Friday.

The initial aim of the large, yet problematic, pyramid kerbs was to dissuade the drivers from breaching track limits so to continue this dissuasion in their absence, the FIA has added narrow gravel traps at the exits of the corners where this reprofiling has taken place.

Last year’s grand prix strategies were not only impacted by the mandated stint length, but also by the extreme temperatures. The temperature of the, at the time, newly-resurfaced circuit through the grand prix never fell below 36°C (96.8°F) which resulted in graining on all compounds and thermal degradation.

Carlos Sainz in parc ferme following the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media.

Though this weekend is likely to be cooler than the previous iteration of the Qatar Grand Prix as it’s being held a month later in the year, Pirelli anticipate that graining will be seen once again. The teams contended with tyre graining in Las Vegas last time out too, although for the opposite reason to Qatar – as a result of the cold track temperatures, a lack of grip and sliding.

What is likely to be similar between Las Vegas and Qatar is the lack of data teams have on the surface and its impact on tyres going into the weekend and thus the unpredictability when it comes to strategy. The race at Lusail Circuit was first run in 2021 where some drivers made just one pitstop yet the race was won on a two-stop. Given the different generation of these compounds and the different conditions, the data from this race is unlikely to be generalisable to this year’s. This leaves the 2023 race as the only precedent, although that was also subject to unique conditions, limiting its generalisability too.

The start of the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix. — The 2021 Qatar Grand Prix saw some drivers complete 1 stops while Hamilton won on a 2-stop. Credit: By Courtesy of Pirelli.

Despite the lower expected temperatures, Pirelli have kept their tyre selection consistent with 2023 in bringing the hardest possible compounds – C1 as the hard, C2 as the medium and C3 as the soft. Around the Lusail lap, the tyres are subject to energy levels similar to those seen around Suzuka and Silverstone so the hard tyres are necessary to counter these lateral force and stress levels.

With just one practice hour to gather data and experience the circuit’s changes before the first competitive session, the pressure will be on in free practice 1 to allow teams to find their optimal setups to manage degradation and narrow down their strategies.