Pirelli has detailed how the Qatar GP 2025 tyre limit will function after concerns about excessive wear. The new 25-lap cap on each stint applies only to slick tyres and aims to increase safety at the demanding Losail circuit. This key change affects team strategy from the first lap of the weekend.
Last year’s analysis showed worrying wear levels, especially on the left-front tyre. Several teams attempted long 30+ lap runs, which pushed the tyres beyond tolerable limits. Pirelli wants to avoid a repeat scenario and ensure predictable tyre behaviour during the 57-lap race.
Why Pirelli Introduced the 25-Lap Restriction
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s motorsport director, revealed that the decision came in March. He said the 2025 season offered the ideal opportunity to implement it because the track layout remains the same. That consistency allows “a direct comparison with last year” and helps Pirelli judge tyre performance more accurately.
Isola confirmed that the rule applies only to the C1, C2, and C3 slick compounds. He also made it clear that breaking the tyre-usage limit could lead to a disqualification. The ruling forces teams to plan every stint with precision.
Isola also addressed questions about safety-car scenarios. When asked whether a team must still pit if a safety car leaves 26 laps remaining, he responded:
“It was clear in the definition that we put on the preview, in the prescriptions, that we count also laps behind the safety car.
The only laps that are not counted are the ones after the chequered flag or the formation lap… Each lap counts.”
He confirmed that qualifying laps also count toward the limit. “Also when they are running in quali, they have maybe a cooldown lap, a push lap, a cooldown lap, whatever, all the laps are counted…”
Isola said this approach removes any grey areas and makes the rule easy to enforce.
Can Teams Still Vary Strategy?
Several team bosses fear that the rule limits creativity. Sauber’s Jonathan Wheatley suggested the race could become predictable, saying “it’s just going to be a bit of a procession” because of the narrow pit-stop range.
However, Isola dismissed these concerns. “In any case, the 25 laps on a 57 laps race is giving some flexibility. You are not obliged to stop at lap 24.”
He believes teams still have multiple options. Some may choose a shorter first stint on softer tyres since they know two stops are unavoidable. Others might stretch the middle stint to gain track position. Isola expects the limit to guide strategy, not restrict it entirely.
He added that race control may extend the limit if the pit lane closes due to a safety issue, such as a stopped car blocking entry. In that situation, race direction can override the rule.
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