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F1 has scrapped the controversial tire rule that mandated drivers who qualified in the top ten to start a race on their Q2 tires. Starting in 2022, drivers who progress in qualifying into Q3 won’t be required to start the race on the tires they set their fastest lap in Q2.
At an F1 Strategy Advisory Committee meeting late last year, the rule was brought into discussion, and a decision was made to scrap the rule entirely from the upcoming season onwards. As reported by Motorsport Netherlands, the committee's decision has been confirmed by the World Motorsport Council.
The rule was originally introduced in 2014 to handicap faster cars in an effort to improve racing, however, it has often had the opposite effect. The power unit regulations introduced in 2014 spread out the field so much that top teams had enough performance to qualify on harder and more durable compounds thereby negating the original purpose of the rule.
Despite the obvious failure of the rule to produce the intended results, it has endured for the entirety of the turbo-hybrid era. Teams in the midfield such as Renault and McLaren have often argued for the rule to be scrapped. Some top teams have, however, lobbied heavily to keep the rule in place.
Speaking in a 2019 interview with Motorsport.com, former Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul said:
“That silly regulation of having to start on the soft tyres gives such an advantage to the guys behind. In the Strategy Group everyone agreed (to bin it). Then it comes to vote, all the arrangements seemed to come back, and frankly I’m exasperated by that. There was a lobby from the top teams and their junior teams to stop a change, because it’s a regulation that was engineered by the top teams to protect them. I don’t think they need it, but it’s an extra protection.”
The experiment that finally convinced F1 to scrap qualifying rule
F1 heads into a new era, with brand new cars deliberately and carefully designed to produce wheel-to-wheel racing. Amidst the changes, the FIA and FOM’s technical arm have been busy trying to level the playing field.
Apart from the new hyper-restrictive technical regulations, the sport also introduced a cost-cap last year. It is designed to take away the biggest advantage some of the sport’s most successful teams have had for years.
It would, therefore, seem apt to scrap a rule that seemed to only benefit faster cars. Interestingly, the decision to finally scrap the rule came after last’s year semi-successful sprint experiment.
The short races, which were almost a quarter of the regular Grand Prix, produced exciting racing, and crucially gave every car a free tire choice at the start. This produced some interesting results, with teams opting for varying strategies leading to marginally better racing.
