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From next season on, all drivers will be given free tyre choice for race

From next season on, all drivers will be given free tyre choice for race

12-11-2021 09:31 Last update: 10:16
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GPblog.com

In the upcoming 2022 season, the Q2 tyre rule will be abolished. This will mean that drivers in the top ten of qualifying will also be given free tyre choice for the race on Sunday.

Auto, Motor und Sport reports that next season the tyre rule in Q2 will be abolished. With this new rule Formula 1 wants to make the races more exciting. Free choice of tyres for the whole field should ensure even more different strategies in the race.

Currently the top ten drivers in qualifying have to start on the tyre with which they set the fastest time in Q2. In theory, this would give the drivers at the back of the grid an advantage at the start of the race due to the free choice of tyres, but in reality there is not much of a difference.

Rule missing from published regulations

Teams like Red Bull and Mercedes can often still benefit from a harder compound in Q2 because their top speed is high enough to beat the rest of the field. This season we have seen often enough that the top teams qualify in Q2 on the medium tyre.

AMuS noticed that the published sporting regulations for 2022 no longer include a tyre rule for Q2. Apparently, the majority of teams already voted for the rule change in 2019. So at the moment there are no plans to implement the rule in 2022 as well. Ross Brawn previously said that he would like to reconsider the rule: "Abolishing it shouldn't be a big problem."