F1 commentator Cam van den Dungen has told Yahoo Sport Australia that a new mandate on tyre limits for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix has the potential to decide who wins the world championship. And van den Dungen believes it could play into Max Verstappen’s hands.
With two rounds remaining, Lando Norris leads the championship from Verstappen and Oscar Piastri by 24 points. Norris remains on 390 points after the double McLaren disqualification in Las Vegas, with Vertsappen and Piastri both on 366.
Teams will have to make two pit-stops (R) in the Qatar Grand Prix, which could give Max Verstappen (L) an edge. Image: Getty
In an added layer to the drama of the championship battle, official tyre supplier Pirelli has effectively turned the Qatar Grand Prix into a two-stop affair. Due to safety concerns around how much wear and tear the tyres receive at the Lusail Circuit, the rules have been changed for this weekend’s main race.
Teams can only use one set of tyres for a maximum of 25 laps, making the race a two-stop affair because it’s 57 laps in total. It comes after the 2023 event in Qatar had an 18-lap limit because the kerbs were causing lacerations in the tyres and punctures.
The limit was removed in 2024, but drivers still encountered tyre issues. Pirelli said the tyres had reached their maximum wear level because teams had attempted a one-stop strategy and stayed out longer. To prevent a similar situation in 2025, the race will be a mandatory two-stopper.
There was a similar tyre limit at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Why tyre limit in Qatar Grand Prix could help Max Verstappen
It effectively means the penultimate race of the season will be three sprints, and van den Dungen believes that might give Verstappen a slight advantage over his McLaren rivals. McLaren have stated they won’t prioritise one of Norris or Piastri over the other while both are within a race win of the championship lead (25 points).
But Red Bull can go all-out with trying to get Verstappen the title, and can give him pit-lane priority over teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Van den Dungen said he doesn’t think the rule change will “favour any driver or team” in particular, but could give Red Bull and Verstappen less headaches than McLaren.
It was Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on the podium in Qatar in 2023. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
“I do think the fact that Red Bull can prioritise Max for his mandatory two stops will be an advantage, whereas McLaren may have to make some strategic calls about which of their drivers get pit lane priority,” the F1 expert told Yahoo on Wednesday. “This could be a crucial factor in the race result.
“Traditionally, at this stage of the season a team would prioritise their championship leader, but McLaren have publicly ruled this out. So if they revert to an early season approach, it will be whoever qualifies better and ultimately which of their two drivers is in front of the other when the pit lane window opens. This means that both Oscar and Lando will have an additional incentive to out qualify their teammate – not that they needed any more motivation.
“In 2010, Red Bull put all of their effort and energy behind Seb Vettel (to win the championship), and in 2025 they are doing the same thing with Max Verstappen. Whereas, McLaren are resolute that they will not prioritise one driver over another.”
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Van den Dungen believes the change has the potential to put “additional pressure on pit crews”, which means “an error could cost more than a race result, it could cost a championship.” He pointed out that Norris is “prone to making mistakes when faced with extreme pressure”, adding: “We saw this again in Las Vegas when he outbraked himself into Turn 1, ultimately allowing Max into the race lead where he was never troubled. But whilst it is possible for Oscar or Max to still win the title, I would much rather be in Lando Norris’ position with a 24-point buffer and only two races to go.”
Haas principal slams tyre limit for Qatar Grand Prix
Speaking last week, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said he doesn’t like the tyre limit and believes it could “destroy” the Qatar race. “I don’t agree with those artificial limits,” he said in Las Vegas.
“I guess it’s just Pirelli scared from last year, right? One-stop race, and Pirelli probably thought, ‘Surely they’re not going to go this time. Oh no, they’re going’. So they just put this artificial limit so that it’s impossible to do a one-stop race.
“But for me, I don’t think it’s right that we have to do that in a sport. You know, we’re talking quite a lot about, you know, avoiding one-stop races, but to put something artificial, like you saw in Monaco and you saw in Qatar one year, I think it will destroy the race.”