Formula One is heading for its now standard season run in which includes a triple header of races starting with Sin City this coming weekend. The bulk of the TV audience which is in Europe will not watch the race live, given it will be held in the middle of the night.
Las Vegas is fast becoming F1’s big money maker with the commercial rights holder promoting the race itself and owning vast amounts of the corporate hospitality on offer. Yet the compromise thy have ben forced into, which includes only closing the strip late in the evening means the event for most of the TV viewers is a catch up experience.
Compromising the viewers experience is nothing new for the accountants of the sport who see the Sin City spectacular is a ‘one off’ and as such it shouldn’t compromise the recent efforts to market F1 to a while new generation of fans.
FIA mandated 2 stop farce
It could be as Vegas becomes ever more dependent on its F1 venture, held on the weekend where traditionally yet numbers of people visiting ‘The Strip’ are the lowest of the year. We may then see the local authorities bend and allow on track times which are more appropriate for the bulk of F1’s TV audience.
Yet Las Vegas is not the only inappropriate venue to which F1 returns. Monaco has long hd its day in terms of being a competitive race weekend. In 2024 the top ten cars started and finished in the same order. In an effort to prevent the usual procession in the Cotes D’Azure, F1 mandated the 2025 event as a two stop race, hoping to spice up the strategic options for the teams.
It merely let to a farce where a number of teams used their number two driver on track as a road block for their competitors whilst the number one car built a gap to ensure a pit stop would see them return in position ahead of their team mate.
The issue with Monaco is the cars have outgrown the historic venue, where the greats like Graham Hill, Stirling Moss and Jim Clarke used to duke it out in their nimble but powerful F1 cars of yesteryear. Yet there are other circuits which are not suited to F1 and the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail track is one of them.
Losail built for motorbikes
The circuit was built for motorbike racing and is possibly the most extreme example why the two forms of racing require fundamentally different track layouts. The high speed turns are not the problem per se but the lack of a heavy braking zone means the opportunities for overtaking are severely limited.
Secondly the flat corner profiles mean there are no alternative racing lines and the high speed nature of the turns leading onto the straights mean its practically impossible to set up a pass due to the ‘dirty air.’
Thirdly there are no big traction zones, where the different F1 car designs can be exploited and the only real hope of overtaking relies on a driver having a huge tyre offset to the one in front. All in all there’s little to comment Losail as a race venue for F1.
The one saving grace of the track is that the surface is extremely abrasive, the temperature is always high and this together with huge lateral G-Forces means the tyres will suffer in the extreme, creating that offset for those more capable of managing their tyre degradation.
F1 postpones controversial new rule
Qatar has been all over the place
Yet the FIA has now removed the one grain of hope that wold prevent the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix from becoming another procession. Concerns over tyre wear have seen them mandate no driver can use any set of the Pirelli Zero’s for more than 25 laps – and this even before the cars have hit the circuit for practice.
Because the Qatar weekend is a Sprint, the teams, Pirelli and the FIA would have just one hour of free practice to determine the real impact of on the Pirelli 2025 F1 tyre range before being able to consider mitigating action to prevent a tyre explosion fest on Sunday. And whilst this is exciting for the fans at such a high speed venue, imposing rubber is clearly a safety concern.
Local debuted on the F1 calendar in 2021 due to a late cancelation of the Australian GP due to Covid. The FIFA world cup the following year meant the race was not scheduled given the Qatar’s focus was elsewhere. For 2023 there was supposed to be a purpose built circuit for F1, but clearly the contract was not binding and once again F1 returned to the motorbike circuit at Losail.
The weekend was held early in October to accommodate the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The temperatures were sky high due to the time of year and the weekend went from bad to worse as after the first practice session Pirelli become concerned over the integrity of the tyres.
2023 tyre dramas in Qatar
In response the FIA altered the layout of the circuit with track limits at the high speed turns 12 and 13 altered before the Sprint shootout on Friday afternoon. A ten minute acclimatising was offered to the drivers before the race on Saturday morning.
Yet despite these measures tyre concerns remained and so the FIA mandated no tyre could be used for more than 20 laps forcing the teams to run a two stop strategy for the Grand Prix. The frequency of the safety car during the sprint meant neither the FIA nor Pirelli could obtain enough tyre data to be confident their restrictions were sufficient. So prior to the Grand Prix the stint length per tyre was reduced to 18 although laps behind the safety car would not count – meaning a one stop remained a possibility.
This was there first time in F1 history the FIA had enforced stint lengths on safety grounds. In 2024 Qatar returned to its early December slot where temperatures were no longer a health issue. The sharp edges on the kerbs at the problematic corners had been softened and on the whole the race weekend was without drama.
Yet two drivers suffered punctures during Sunday’s race and following the event Pirelli discovered more damaged tyres than they had expected. This all led to the decision by the FIA to mandate maximum stint lengths of 25 laps which will do little to create strategic options at the 2025 Qatar GP.
Modifications required to Losail
The 2025 Pirelli tyre range have a more solid construction although they are half a step softer than last year’s range. Yet before a tyre turns in anger both Pirelli and the FIA have acted in a fashion which will diminish the spectacle at this year’s Qatar Grand Prix.
With the new track plans now abandoned – potentially due to a poorly drafted contracted with the Qatari’s – the solutions for Losail and F1’s issues must be properly explored. The final corner before the main straight should be widened and tightened simultaneously to create a heavy braking zone with alternative lines of racing. This would improve the opportunity for drivers to get close the car in front prior to the start finish straight and improve the opportunity to overtake.
Potentially redesigning the pit lane entry/exit and shaving off just a couple of seconds for the tyre change process could potentially encourage teams to consider the extra stop strategy during the Grand Prix.
Resurfacing the circuit to a more low grip asphalt would further help along with breaking up the high speed section of the track with a 90 degree turn into a medium speed corner. Simply put, Losail is not fit in its current state to host a Formula One race, yet it retains nine more years of contract in its pocket.
F1’s ‘quiet’ 2025 season endeavours some big name drivers
Senior F1 driver “should be worried” – 2025 has seen once of the least “silly seasons” in Formula One ever. The usual autumn driver market rumour mill has been mostly killed off this year due to the fact most drivers are locked in for 2026. Franco Colapinto’s new Alpine contract was announced in Brazil as in recent weeks he has matched and beaten his far more experienced team mate Pierre Gasly.
In fact prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the Argentinian had qualified and finished ahead of the Frenchman in four of the previous seven race weekends. Although in interlaces gaily scored a point on Sunday, his first since before the summer break in Spa.
The other drivers uncertain of their F1 futures are to be found in the Red Bull camp, with only Max Verstappen locked down beyond 2025. For much of the year, Dr. Helmut Marko has been championing his next ‘Max Verstappen’ who is racing in F2 this season, although the recent form of Arvid Lindblad has fallen off a cliff in the junior category…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
