What the Qatar F1 track changes look like

Reprofiled kerbs and gravel strips aim to prevent repetition of last year’s tyre dramas

Seven of the Qatar Formula 1 circuit’s 16 corners now feature new kerb profiles after changes ahead of the 2023 race resulted in damage which forced the FIA to impose maximum stint lengths during the race.

The kerbs rose to sharp 50mm points on their inner edges, with a steep drop-off, the intention being to dissuade drivers from taking liberties with track limits.

But the high-speed nature of this circuit, combined with the length of time the cars spend on the kerbs, meant the sharply angled profiles had the unintended consequence of causing microscopic separations in the tyres’ sidewalls.

As Autosport can reveal, each kerb has in effect been ‘shaved’ to give a flatter top surface and a less abrupt drop-off on the outside edge.

Tyres should therefore be operating under less duress as they ride the kerbs in normal conditions – and have a less forceful impact with the ground if the driver strays over the edge.

F1’s official tyre supplier, Pirelli, replicated the new kerb profiles on the dynamic test beds at its Milan R&D base and is confident the solution is robust.

The company already brings the hardest three compounds in its range – C1, C2 and C3 – to Qatar but the failures last year, which prompted the FIA to impose a maximum stint length of 18 laps, were claimed not to be a factor of compound type.

Since the original so-called ‘Misano’ kerbs were installed as a deterrent against exceeding track limits, the FIA has had to find an alternative solution.

As such, the circuit owners have installed narrow gravel strips on the outer boundaries of the reprofiled kerbs.

In this article
Stuart Codling
Formula 1
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