FIA rules updated: Q2 tire rule has been removed from 2022

F1 News

19 February 2022 at 14:19
Last update 19 February 2022 at 18:15
  • GPblog.com

In 2022, the start of the race will look slightly different from previous years. The rule that drivers in who have made it to Q3 must start on the tyres they used for their fastest time in Q2 is a thing of the past.

Tire rule disappears

Starting in 2014, there was a rule whereby drivers who made it to Q3 had to start the Grand Prix on the tyre with which they drove the fastest time in Q2. That rule will end in 2022. In the latest edition of the FIA Sporting Regulations the rule has in fact been crossed out.

For the teams, this means a little less strategic thinking during qualifying. There are however more possibilities when it comes to strategy in Sunday's Grand Prix, as teams can now think about which tire they want to start on before the race when the cars are in the top ten. It is also easier to possibly implement different strategies when a team has two cars in the top ten.

More adjustments to follow

In the coming weeks before the first Grand Prix of 2022, more adjustments to the regulations are expected. Especially the rules about the safety car will be adjusted, after the controversial end of last season in Abu Dhabi.