Stop me if you’ve heard this before: New convoluted rules are coming to Formula 1.
Now I’m probably violating a cardinal journalism rule by saying this is convoluted, but there’s no way I could discuss this without it sounding overly complicated. Now, “this” in my pronoun game is Formula 1’s new tire rule. This comes about with the introduction of the new “ultrasoft” compound for the 2016 season and the desire to stop teams from spending more time in the garage than on the track during practice. Pay very close attention because this gets very, very complicated.
Starting this season, Pirelli will bring three dry compound to the track instead of just two. These will consist of three combinations: orange-banded hard, white-banded medium and yellow-banded soft, medium, soft and red-banded supersoft and soft, supersoft and purple-banded ultrasoft.
Next teams will have 13 sets of tires instead of eight. Teams will also get their choice of what number of a certain compound they’d like versus the other two. At a minimum, the tire set manifest must have at least one of each dry compound. However, you could do a manifest that has just one soft, one supersoft and one ultrasoft. In order to get a customized set, teams are required to send to Pirelli their tire set request eight weeks prior to the Grand Prix weekend for European races and 14 for all other race weekends. Teams aren’t required to send one if they don’t want a customized tire set. In that case, Pirelli will give them four of the prime compound, five of the option compound and four of whatever they’re calling the softest compound.
It’s only going to get more convoluted from here.
Pirelli then takes one set of each compound to be used for Q3 and race day. Don’t think too much on that, I’ll explain it in a few minutes. Just focus on the 10 sets for practice and qualifying. After 40 minutes in free practice 1, teams are required to give the tire set they used for it to Pirelli and that set cannot be used again. After another 40 minutes, teams give their second set to Pirelli and that can’t be used again. The process repeats itself each practice session.
Now we get to qualifying. At this point, a team will be left with just two sets of tires. Remember those three tire sets taken away? One of them is given back to the team if that team makes it to Q3. If they don’t, it disappears like the plot to Sword Art Online. Also, that tire set will be a set of the softest tire compound.
Here’s where we up the ante. If you make it to Q3, you have to start the race on the tire set you used to set your fastest lap in Q2. Previously, it was the fastest time set in Q3. Why they changed it is beyond me. It’s beyond my comprehension. As someone who’s followed Formula 1 for a number of years, I’ve long since accepted that there are some things about this sport I’ll never understand.
Once we get to race day, it pretty much unfolds like it always does. You are required to use both dry compounds should rain not fall on the track. Also, you can use any of the tire sets not used during the rest of the weekend, although that’s not likely to have any left over.
If you’re still confused, just watch this video.
Thanks for reading and I hope I didn’t cause any of our readers a brain aneurysm.
