FIA Could Make Major Rule Change for Race That Could Impact Title Battle

The FIA could make a major rule change amid concerns about health and safety impacting the Qatar Grand Prix.

The F1 race, which was won by Dutch driver Max Verstappen last year, is set to be held later this month.

Last year's event was a controversial affair, as British star Lewis Hamilton came in for some criticism after making some "worrying" comments.

However, Pirelli F1 chief engineer Simone Berra has confirmed that his team will seek to make a major change to proceedings.

He feels that the Qatar Grand Prix should become a mandatory two-stop race due to safety concerns.

His comments have come after last year’s race saw several drivers complete the circuit with only one stop, despite the fact that high wear levels caused serious damage to several tyres.

Berra says F1 officials are exploring every possible option in order to deal with the problem moving forward.

"We had the experience from previous years," said Berra during an interview with The Race.

"Two years ago, it was more a matter of kerbs. Last year, it was a matter of high wear rate – and volumetric wear especially – that generated some carcass damage.

"Obviously, we are taking into account all these parameters.

"The structure hasn’t changed too much [this year] in terms of resistance, so we would like to avoid ending up in a similar situation as last year where the teams were able to extend the stint because they didn’t have a big performance loss even running on the under-tread.

"So we are evaluating which options we have on the table, and we will decide very soon."

Britain’s Lando Norris is currently leading the way in the F1 Driver’s Championship this season.

Getty Images

However, he is just one point ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian Grand Prix is set to take place on the 9th of November.

Getty Images

Unsurprisingly, McLaren’s dominance in the F1 Driver’s Championship is reflected in the Constructors’ Championship.

They are currently more than 300 points ahead of their closest rivals Ferrari, as the season draws to a close.

Ferrari’s British driver Lewis Hamilton is currently sixth in the F1 Driver’s Championship with four races remaining this term.