The move would mirror the strict restrictions enforced at the same venue in 2023, when teams were limited to 18 laps per set and forced into three-stop strategies.
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s head of motorsport, has said the company remain uneasy about the extreme loads generated in Qatar, where long, punishing corners and abrasive asphalt continue to stretch tyre constructions to their limits. “If the tread becomes too thin, the tyre is no longer protected,” Isola has said.
“A small stone or splinter is enough to tear the rubber layer.”
Qatar’s kerbs, track surface and sustained high-speed sequences have created persistent issues since Formula 1 returned to the Gulf state.
Even after circuit officials lowered several aggressive kerbs before the 2023 event, Pirelli still uncovered worrying tread-wear patterns during practice, prompting the introduction of mandatory stint caps. Drivers were then obliged to pit at least three times to keep tyre safety within acceptable margins.
With the 2025 race just days away, Pirelli are again analysing data and simulations that suggest similar risks remain. The combination of desert heat, lateral loading and thermal cycling through heavy-braking zones continues to threaten the structural stability of the tyres, particularly over long runs.
If Pirelli decide to impose fresh limits, teams would face a minimum of two pit stops across the 57-lap race, forcing strategists to rebuild their entire approach around guaranteed tyre changes. Such a rule would also compress tactical variety, making tyre management and stop timing even more critical in a race where track position is traditionally difficult to maintain.
The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, 30 November, at the 5.380-kilometre Losail International Circuit near Lusail, where teams expect one of the most demanding tyre-management challenges of the season.
