F1 drivers could be disqualified for breaking emergency rule at Qatar Grand Prix | F1 | Sport
Any drivers who flout an emergency rule in place at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix could face severe penalties, up to and including disqualification. The race at the Lusail International Circuit could be a title decider with Lando Norris on the verge of claiming the individual crown. However, it will not take place under normal conditions after special measures were implemented by tyre manufacturers Pirelli.
The rule mandates that no tyre, across all sessions over the three days, completes more than 25 laps. It means every driver will be forced to make at least two pit stops over the 57-lap race. The measures were deemed necessary due to the abrasive nature of the circuit, which has caused accelerated tyre wear in recent seasons.
If the rule is broken, drivers will almost certainly face significant penalties and could even be disqualified from the race, according to Pirelli motorsport director Mario Isola.
“I think so, because the limitation is in our preview,” he told GPBlog. “In our preview, we define elements such as minimum pressure, but it’s not a technical infringement. So if a driver exceeds the lap limit, it is reported to the stewards.”
The report adds that any driver completing more than 25 laps on a single set of tyres would represent a breach of the Sporting Regulations, namely Article 30.5 [a].
It states: “All tyres must be operated in accordance with the prescriptions issued prior to each competition by the FIA and the appointed tyre supplier, including any additional or modified procedures set out in the appendix to these Sporting Regulations or as communicated directly by the FIA and the appointed tyre supplier.”
Given the unique nature of the special rule in place this weekend, there is no existing precedent for the stewards to follow in the event of any violations.
It comes after Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu warned the Qatar Grand Prix could be ‘destroyed’ as a result of Pirelli stepping in to impose artificial tyre limits.
He said: “I guess it’s just Pirelli being scared after last year, right? A one-stop race, and Pirelli probably thought: ‘Surely they’re not going to do it this time… oh no, they are’.
“So they just put this artificial limit in place, making a one-stop race impossible. I don’t think it’s right that we have to do that in a sport.
“We talk a lot about avoiding one-stop races, but to impose something artificial, like you saw in Monaco and Qatar [2023], I think it will destroy the race.”
