Pirelli confirms the new regulations for qualifying at Imola
Pirelli has announced that Imola will indeed be hosting the new qualifying experience. Drivers will only be allowed to use the hard tyre in Q1, the medium tyre in Q2, and the soft tyre in Q3.
It’s a decision that doesn’t please everyone. In Imola, during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, a new qualifying format will be tested. In the first phase, only hard tires can be used. The Q2 will be reserved for medium compound tires. Then, the Q3 for the soft compound tires.
This “Alternative Tyre Allocation,” which will also be used for another race weekend this year after Imola, reduces the total tyre allocation for each car from 13 sets to 11 per weekend, according to Pirelli.
This new regulation does not appeal at all to the double world champion, Max Verstappen. « I hope it won’t be cold at Imola, otherwise it will be tricky. It will be the same for everyone, but I don’t think we need to do this kind of thing in qualifying. I don’t really see the advantage », he had said when this format was still just a rumor.
The manufacturer also announces that the first rain tires without hot covers will be introduced at this Italian race.
