🥵 Qatar GP: Too Hot To Race

Hey there, speedster! 👋

Big shout-out to the 259 new faces who've geared up with us in the past week. Rev your engines because we've got a full grid of news to dive into today.

🔥 Hot Wheels: The Qatar GP was heating up, literally! With drivers feeling exhausted, it brings the question - is the desert circuit too hot to handle?

🚗 Tire-gate 2023: Drama unfolds on the track as unexpected tire issues force a mandatory 3-stopper. How did they not see this coming?

🟠 McLaren Magic: What a weekend for the McLaren team! They've been tearing up the tarmac and breaking world records along the way.

📈 Gap to Winner(s)

Race: Gap to Verstappen

🟠 McLaren picked up the pace in their last stint, gaining about 5 seconds on Verstappen. Even after Verstappen pitted and got new tires, he didn't go any faster!

🚀 Russell was amazing in his second stint, which landed him in 4th place.

Sprint: Gap to Piastri

⚫ Russell started strong and kept it up until lap 9, but then his soft tires just couldn't keep up.

🟠 Norris was blazing fast in the last laps.

📊 Qatar GP Race Analysis

🟠 MCLAREN

• Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris secured double podium (P2 & P3)

• McLaren now only 11 points behind Aston Martin.

• Fastest pit-stop world record: 1.80 sec

• Celebrated their 500th podium in F1.

McLaren ⚔️ Aston Martin ⚔️ Alpine

The big three midfield teams from the late turbo-hybrid era trying to break into consistent frontrunners, 2023 marks each team's smallest gap to the leaders since 2017!

Tyre strategies

• No significant degradation on MED or HARD tires.

• If it weren’t for the mandatory pit stop limit, teams would have extended most stints.

🤢 Many Drivers Sick at Qatar GP?

Driving the Qatar GP made drivers sick. Literally. A bunch of them needed medical care after the race.

Here's a quick rundown:

• Williams’ Logan Sargeant quit mid-race because he felt sick.

• Alpine's Esteban Ocon threw up in his helmet.

• Alex Albon and Lance Stroll had a hard time getting out of their cars after the race.

• Oscar Piastri had to lie down in the cooldown room to catch his breath.

F1 drivers are super fit – they even train in saunas to prep for hot races. So, what made this race at the Lusail International Circuit so challenging?

🌡️ The Heat

• Race temp: 32 degrees after sunset

• High humidity and no wind

• Car cockpits got super hot

• Trying to get fresh air by lifting the visor = a faceful of sand

🏎️ The Track

• Originally for motorcycle races

• One long stretch + lots of speedy corners = constant hard work for drivers

• More turns = more body stress

🛞 The Tires

• Safety concerns changed tire strategies

• Result: Drivers raced like it was qualifying for all 57 laps

Why were there no problems at other desert races?

Other races in the Middle East are scheduled to avoid extreme heat. For example, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races are at night in March, and Abu Dhabi is in late November. The Qatar race is moved to the end of November next year, which might help. If not, there'll be serious talks about keeping the drivers safe. - Read more

⚫ Qatar F1 Tire Drama

What happened

F1's main tire provider, Pirelli, had to step in with the FIA after they found some issues with the tires used in Qatar.

After a close look, they noticed a problem with the sidewall that could have caused some real trouble.

To keep the drivers safe, they decided that the tires should only be used for up to 18 laps, basically making the Qatar race a three-pit-stop deal. This means that tire management was unimportant, as drivers had to push most of the race.

What caused the damage?

Cars have been running over aggressive kerbs at high speeds. These impacts damaged the tires. The damage is in all four tires but varies in severity. The track changes aimed to reduce this.

Fun fact: similar issues happened in 2021. - Read more

Couldn't they have seen this coming?

Pirelli did send a report after 2021, but the new kerbs came in just a month ago. Since the damage was unexpected and unusual, nobody saw it coming. - Read more

🔝 Rookie Piastri Dominates F1 Scene

People were buzzing about his talent before Oscar Piastri even set foot in an F1 car.

Now, after Piastri's impressive win in a sprint race and coming second in the Qatar GP, it's clear he's living up to the hype. With the support of McLaren, Piastri's showing everyone how it's done.

Only two other drivers in this century – Lewis Hamilton and Juan Pablo Montoya – have won an F1 race in their debut season. 

Lando Norris, Piastri's teammate, even joked that Piastri got his first win before he did!

📊 Current season stats:

• 83 points.

• Three podiums.

• Sprint race win.

🆚 Comparisons:

• Max Verstappen’s rookie year: 49 points.

• Mark Webber's best rookie finish: P5.

• Daniel Ricciardo in his first year: No points.

Piastri's success, especially compared to Norris's debut season, highlights his potential. He's recently narrowed the gap with Norris, and the tide seems to be turning in his favor. - Read more

🛠️ FIA Urges Fixes for F1 Track Limits

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pretty clear: tracks with boundary issues like Lusail and the Red Bull Ring must be sorted. Otherwise, they could be dropped from the F1 calendar.

After a chaotic Qatar GP where track limits messed up the race, Sulayem wasn't having it. He doesn't think stricter policing by FIA is the answer.

Why this matters:

👉 Race Fairness: Consistent breaches can skew race results and rankings.

👉 Driver Safety: Overstepping limits, especially due to track design, can pose safety risks.

👉 Sport Integrity: Frequent boundary issues can tarnish the sport's credibility.

Go Deeper:

To manage potential track limit breaches, FIA improved its monitoring system. And while Sulayem sees potential in technology, he feels FIA needs more funding to harness it fully. He stressed the need for a better funding agreement with F1. - Read more

Formula 1 cars are speed monsters, but their tires are the only part touching the track. So, to perform their best, they need top-notch tires. But it’s not as simple as just picking one kind. Teams must consider the weather, track type, and how long they want their tires to last.

Every race has its own challenges, and picking the right tire is crucial.

History of F1 Tires

F1 cars didn't always race on Pirelli tires. Right now, in 2023, they're the only game in town, but the story's been pretty interesting over the years.

Back in the very first F1 season in 1950, teams just slapped on tires similar to what everyday cars used. But as the competition heated up, things changed fast.

Big names like Goodyear, Firestone, Dunlop, and even Continental jumped in, each bringing new tricks to give their tires an edge. Think weight changes or the move to those smooth slicks we see today.

F1 has tweaked tire rules a bunch over time, playing with sizes and even how long they should last in a race. In 2005, in a bid to make racing safer, they tried a rule where drivers couldn’t change tires during the entire race.

That plan hit a snag at the US Grand Prix when Michelin had some safety concerns and later decided to leave F1 altogether.

Fast forward to 2011, and Pirelli became the main squeeze for F1's tire needs. They've been holding it down for over 12 years, and FIA just confirmed they’ll be around at least until 2027.

F1 Tire Choices

Teams have six types, labeled C0 to C5. C5s are soft and speedy, while C0s are hard and durable. Plus, for rainy days, they've got two more types: full wets and intermediates.

A few weeks before a race, teams find out which three out of those five types they can pick from.

During a typical race weekend, drivers receive:

• 13 sets of dry-weather tires

• 4 sets of intermediates

• 3 sets of full-wet tires.

• If they reach Q3, they get an additional set of soft tires.

If the track's dry, every driver has to use at least two different types of slick tires during the race.

Soft, Medium, or Hard Tyre - What's the Difference?

It’s all about balancing speed with how long the tire lasts.

🔴 Soft tires - Super fast, but they wear out like crazy.

🟡 Medium tires - Faster than hard ones, but they don't wear out as fast as soft ones.

⚪ Hard tires - Last ages, but don't expect them to be as grippy.

F1 Tire Lingo Made Simple

Scrubbed: Imagine wearing new shoes that are a bit stiff. Teams give tires a short "break-in" by driving them for a bit during practice. This makes them race-ready.

Slicks: These are the super smooth tires, perfect for sunny days.

Compound: Think of it as the tire's recipe – some are hard, and some are soft.

Blistering: Imagine a tire getting a mini-explosion on the inside because of too much heat. That's blistering.

Graining: It's like when the tire's outside gets too hot, and bits of rubber peel off and stick right back on.

Flat spot: It's exactly what it sounds like. If a driver brakes super hard, the tire can scrape the track and gets a flat area.

Deg: It's short for 'degradation.' It simply means the tire's slowly losing its mojo due to wear.

2023 Tire Regulations

Tire Rules

• Drivers need to use two different types of tires during a race. If it rains, forget that rule. Bring out the wet or intermediate tires.

• After free practice, teams give back two sets of tires.

  • That leaves them with seven sets for both qualifying and the race.

  • One set will be returned if you make it to Q3.

  • Each driver has:

    • Four sets of intermediate tires

    • Three sets of rain tires

Heat Blankets: The Lowdown

• Keeping tires at the perfect temp is crucial! Cold tires = less grip = possible crash.

• Tires cozy up in heat blankets to start at the right temperature.

• However, F1 is trying to phase these blankets out.

  • The blanket temp was dropped from 100°C to 70°C.

  • They wanted 50°C in 2023, but after a test run in the US, teams said it’s too risky

  • The compromise? 70°C for 2023.

  • Tires used to be in the blankets for three hours pre-session. Next year it will be two hours.

🏆 The FIA made it clear: Formula 1 world champions must wait for the official prize gala to get their trophies. No exceptions! - Read more

😠 Stroll faced backlash for his behavior after getting knocked out in Qatar's Q1. - Read more

💸 Lewis Hamilton got a fine for walking across the Qatar GP track after a run-in with his teammate, George Russell. - Read more

⚠️ Horner warns Perez not to mess up again. - Read more

😅 Button’s hilarious response after McLaren forgets his existence. - Read more

❌ Audi addresses the buzz about possibly canceling their Alfa Romeo/Sauber team takeover. - Read more

🥳 Adrian Newey celebrates his 25th Championship win in F1. - Read more

🗨️ Nico Rosberg says that if Lance Stroll wasn't with Aston Martin, he wouldn't be racing next year. - Read more

🤔 McLaren: “Norris challenging Qatar team orders was part of our F1 protocol.” But is it though? - Read more

🇺🇸 Scheduled 20-22 October

Circuit of the Americas

1️⃣ Circuit length: 5.513km
2️⃣ Number of laps: 56
3️⃣ Lap record: 1:36.169 Charles Leclerc (2019)
4️⃣ Corners & DRS: 20 corners with 2 DRS zones