Why mandatory pitstops won’t improve F1 racing

Beware those that declare easy options to advanced issues.

After three grands prix within the 2025 season gained from pole place, and a processional race in Japan held in circumstances of tactical stalemate, an thought has taken root within the Formulation 1 paddock that this state of affairs may simply be resolved by imposing a minimal variety of pitstops – that determine, in fact, to be better than one.

There may be precedent. On the Qatar GP in 2023, the FIA and Pirelli set a maximum stint length, in impact making it a minimal three-stop race, and in February this 12 months the World Motor Sport Council ratified a minimum of two stops at Monaco, come rain or shine.

However these have been responses to particular circumstances. In Qatar, the tyres have been being broken by working over the kerbs, and specifying a stint size of 18 laps was a sticking-plaster resolution for security causes.

Monaco and overtaking – or lack thereof – have been the topic of countless pontification through the years. It was tough sufficient for these within the early years, grunting round in pendulous leviathans that solely had brakes on the entrance axle, actuated by tugging on a stick. Final 12 months sentiment arrived at a tipping level owing to an early pink flag, which gave all of the runners a ‘free’ pitstop, just about inking within the order till the tip.

Whereas the outcomes of the Monaco experiment are but to be seen, that Qatar race supplied a couple of information factors. Although Max Verstappen gained from pole, the race was deemed successful by the opinionati.

All by means of that season the sensitivity of Pirelli’s tyres to thermal degradation – shedding efficiency rapidly when pushed too arduous, notably in scorching circumstances – had been blamed for a scarcity of overtaking. And, to an extent, Crimson Bull’s dominance.

Qatar was the primary grand prix the place drivers had been capable of push arduous all through a stint as a result of every one was so quick. On the face of it, that is precisely what drivers had been asking for – an finish to races dictated by tyre administration – and lots of of their bosses agreed.

“I’d prefer to have extra races like Qatar the place you simply go flat out,” mentioned Mercedes group principal Toto Wolff on the finish of the season. Although we must always maybe qualify this sentiment by reminding readers that Verstappen gained the world championship in Qatar, rendering the next 5 races (together with a triple-header and a double-header) an exhausting procession of useless rubbers.

Each time anybody holds up a selected race as an exemplar it ought to set off the alarm bells, for it was the weird circumstances of the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix that dictated what now we have in the present day. Again then, Bridgestone’s skill to supply tyres you may push all day was perceived because the villain of the piece, and the topsy-turvy weekend in Montreal demonstrated what may occur if degradation got here into play.

The 2010 Canadian GP set the format for future F1 seasons

Photograph by: Sutton Photos

“All races needs to be like this,” commanded F1 ‘ringmaster’ Bernie Ecclestone, Pirelli duly delivered on transient, and right here we’re – with drivers endlessly moaning about degradation and wanting tyres they will push on all race. It have to be dizzying to pivot by 180 levels so usually whereas making an attempt to fulfill unmet wants.

Whereas mandating a selected variety of pitstops appeals by means of its simplicity, it comes freighted with unexpected penalties and is a really coarse approach of making an attempt to impress modifications within the working order. It’s akin to the participant of a board recreation trying to vary a shedding trajectory by throwing the items within the air to see the place they land.

Given related automotive efficiency, overtaking is at all times going to be fraught with issue – which is why groups are naturally inclined to protect monitor place by minimising the variety of stops they make. There’s additionally the potential for pitcrew errors. Forcing the groups to make extra stops definitely will increase the chance of stops not going based on plan, however it is a crude lever to tug.

Having a prescribed variety of stops can also be more likely to cut back strategic variation relatively than put it up for sale, since Pirelli has been obediently and industriously making an attempt to cut back thermal degradation and the consequences of warmth stress on its tyres.

Thermal degradation is an element of core temperature over lengthy stints and is completely different to the phenomenon of shedding efficiency from nook to nook as a result of the driving force has induced the floor temperature to ‘spike’ by frightening the automotive into slides. That is why so many at the moment are pleased to be in Bahrain, the place thermal administration, previously the bogey issue, is now extremely fascinating within the context of the Japanese procession.

In Qatar in 2023 there was a good quantity of strategic variation – Verstappen and George Russell on the entrance row began on used mediums, Lewis Hamilton in third on softs – however the important thing influences on this have been the tyres out there and the potential for the newly laid monitor floor to induce graining on contemporary tyres. In any case the Mercedes drivers collided with one another on the first nook, rendering the purpose moot.

Mercedes startline conflict in Qatar 2023 price the possibility to see various tyre methods in motion

Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

Additionally, at the moment there was an even bigger step in efficiency between Pirelli’s C1 and C2 tyres – the arduous and medium – and the C1’s tendency to require a number of laps to succeed in the precise temperature window had a giant affect on technique. This 12 months, as directed, Pirelli has narrowed the hole between these compounds.

To create overtaking alternatives and engineer the industrial rights holder’s desired ‘peak finish impact’ – a cognitive bias the place spectators are likely to fee a race’s total pleasure based on the occasions of the previous couple of laps – the tyre efficiency needs to be extra differentiated. This helps to create the sort of races the place drivers making two stops have sufficient efficiency in hand to chase down and cross these making one.

“It is a bit of a multitude, should you ask me,” was Carlos Sainz’s verdict on the matter within the pre-Bahrain press convention. “What creates overtaking, in my view, is to have a delta [performance differential] to the automotive in entrance.”

This was maybe the frankest admission thus far by a present F1 driver that that they had been given what they needed and now, after Suzuka, they were complaining about it. Certain, there have been extenuating circumstances – colder than anticipated ambients, a brand new floor on a part of the monitor that decreased the necessities for managing tyres there. However with out the supposedly hated degradation there have been no alternatives to cross.

Sainz additionally identified the inherent weak spot of imposing a minimal variety of pitstops.

“Should you go along with the three hardest compounds on a monitor like Suzuka, for instance, you may have flat-out racing with the three compounds, and pitstop laps at all times roughly the identical – all of us stopped on one lap,” he mentioned. “I believe you’ll not get a tyre delta or an overtaking delta.

Processional Japanese GP has put the highlight on tyres and techniques

Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

“So for me it is extra about making an attempt to ensure the race is at all times between a one- and a two-stop, as a result of like that you’ll have groups making an attempt to do one-stops with excessive degradation and different groups working sooner on a two-stop to try to overtake and make it to the flag.”

The query is whether or not Pirelli can engineer this. In the meanwhile there may be little room to manoeuvre as a result of the tyre compounds have been established for the 12 months. The producer can modify the allocation for particular races, however this can’t be performed on the fly as a result of the tyres are shipped by sea to cut back F1’s carbon footprint.

“What we are able to do, it’s simply engaged on the tyre compounds allocation,” mentioned Pirelli’s Simone Berra when requested by Autosport what could possibly be performed to engineer eventualities the place the selection between one and two stops is extra nuanced. “To attempt to, let’s say, change a bit of bit the state of affairs.

“Clearly it’s additionally tough for us to foretell the climate – for instance in Suzuka we had low temperatures, however one other 12 months we may have greater. Possibly even 15 levels greater.

“And this has a giant affect on tyre efficiency and degradation, as we’ve seen right here in Bahrain. Clearly, once we attempt to cut back the overheating and thermal degradation, following the feedback from drivers, then we may find yourself with conservative tyres – particularly at first of this season with a brand new vary which seems too conservative.

“That’s why, for instance, we’ve determined to be a bit of bit much less conservative for the following races, ranging from Jeddah. We’ve 4 races in a row the place we’re going one step softer than final 12 months, to make issues – let’s say – a bit of tougher for the groups, however much more fascinating for the present.

“We’re engaged on it – it’s vital to gather all of the suggestions, not just for the allocation for the second a part of the season, but additionally the event we’re going to have within the coming weeks for the brand new compounds for 2026.”

As ever, it’s a case of being cautious what you would like for.