Qatar GP 2024, race technique – After securing pole place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, George Russell as soon as once more begins on the entrance of the grid. In actuality, the quickest time was set by Max Verstappen, however a penalty promoted Mercedes’ W15 automotive quantity 63, confirming the group’s robust type seen in the USA. Within the second row, the 2 McLaren drivers are positioned, sensing that the Constructors’ Championship is turning into extra inside attain, partly as a result of Ferrari not being at their finest however nonetheless hoping to recuperate with race tempo proven through the Dash Race.
The end result of the race is unsure, contemplating each the qualifying outcomes and, extra importantly, the Dash Race, which ended with a McLaren one-two end (Piastri forward of Norris, editor’s word). Nevertheless, they had been unable to determine a big hole over the competitors, which stayed shut all through the race. Given this, and the difficult tire administration on a observe that locations quite a lot of stress on the compounds, the race is predicted to be unpredictable in its ultimate end result.
Earlier than diving into the main points of strategic predictions, let’s check out the tire selections made by Pirelli for the twenty third spherical of the 2024 World Championship. Not like Las Vegas, the place the softer compounds had been launched, Pirelli has introduced the toughest tires of their vary: C1 onerous, C2 medium, and C3 tender. Let’s instantly have a look at the tire units obtainable to the drivers.
Qatar GP 2024 – Technique: Single Cease Anticipated to Be Helpful
It must be famous that predicting group methods this 12 months has been notably troublesome. Tires have typically been a puzzle, resulting in techniques that diverged from what was anticipated on paper.
For the Losail Grand Prix, you will need to contemplate the resurfacing of the curbs, that are decrease than final 12 months when many tire points arose as a result of sharp edges of the curbs positioned on the exterior of the corners, resulting in tires getting reduce. This prompted a multi-stop technique final 12 months.
This 12 months, the difficulty has been resolved, and Pirelli’s engineers count on that the perfect tactic will likely be a single cease, beginning with the medium tire, which ought to final between 19 and 25 laps, adopted by a change to the onerous tire to complete the race.
Apart from the curbs, Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra highlighted that the general grip degree this 12 months is larger than final 12 months, stopping lateral sliding and untimely tire put on. The anticipated graining was lower than anticipated. This, mixed with decrease degradation, suggests {that a} single-stop technique would be the most advantageous.
In fact, there may be little knowledge on the onerous tire, a compound not used through the Dash Race and solely seen briefly throughout Friday’s sole observe session. The efficiency of this compound would be the deciding issue: if it performs effectively, a single cease will likely be viable; in any other case, different methods resembling a two-stop plan with two onerous tire stints after an preliminary medium stint could also be used.
There may be little expectation of using the tender C3 tire, a compound that may result in extreme put on and speedy efficiency degradation. Whereas a number of drivers have a number of units of this compound (Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto, and Esteban Ocon every have three obtainable), it’s unlikely that anybody will use it, particularly since overtaking at Losail is troublesome, and having to recuperate positions can be very disadvantageous.
The race will likely be held below the climate circumstances noticed within the previous days, with temperatures not too excessive however winds that would trigger points, with gusts anticipated at as much as 40 kilometers per hour. The drivers might want to handle these circumstances, particularly via medium- to high-speed corners.
Moreover, the wind tends to deliver desert sand onto the observe, which doesn’t assist preserve perfect asphalt circumstances. This presents one other small problem, an extra variable to contemplate within the troublesome equation that’s the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix.
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