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Haas F1 Team

Haas boss issues 'destroyed' warning over controversial emergency F1 measure

Haas F1 boss Ayao Komatsu is far from impressed with the emergency measures being deployed at the Qatar Grand Prix next time out.

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To news overview © XPBimages

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has warned that "artificial" maximum tyre stints being implemented could "destroy" grands prix. 

For the Qatar Grand Prix, Pirelli has mandated that each set of tyres can do no more than 25 laps under any conditions, meaning the 57-lap race is set to be a two-stopper at the minimum.

The reason for tyre stint lengths being imposed in Qatar is due to the high lateral loads placed on the tyres through the high-speed corners, with the kerbs also a concern, with the 2023 race seeing 18-lap stint lengths being imposed.

However, Komatsu believes the implementation of "artificial limits" are rooted in Pirelli being "scared" as he revealed the teams were not consulted on the decision.

"My personal opinion is that I don't agree with those artificial limits, but I guess Pirelli are scared from last year," Komatsu explained when asked by RacingNews365 for his thoughts on the measures.

"It was a one-stop race, and Pirelli thought: 'Surely, they are not going to go this long? But oh, they are,' so they just put this artificial limit in so that it is impossible to do a one-stop race.

"For me, I don't think it is right that we have to do that. We're talking quite a lot about how to avoid one-stop races, but to put something artificial in, like you saw in Monaco and in Qatar [in 2023], you will destroy the race.

"The issue is not the one-stop, you saw in Brazil and Mexico, you don't need to look any further than that to see the exciting race you could have when the tyre performance is on the edge of one or two stops or two and three stops, when the two strategies could work.

"That's when the exciting races happen, and for me, what Pirelli needs to aim for."

When pushed further by RacingNews365, Komatsu revealed the teams had not been consulted by Pirelli.

"No," he replied, "but the same with Qatar [2023], when they stipulated [two stops], that race was bad, wasn't it, with everybody stopping exactly the same.

"Whenever you do something artificial, nobody is stupid, right?

"People will come to the same conclusion, and I don't think it is going to work, I mean you saw in Monaco this year, that when you try to artificially force something, it made it worse."

			© XPBimages
	© XPBimages

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