FIA adds extra practice, delays sprint shootout over tyre concerns

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The FIA has added a short 10-minute practice session ahead of Saturday’s Sprint Shootout at Lusail following concerns about tyre failures.

The schedule change was decided by the governing body after Pirelli discovered structural issues with some of its tyres after Friday’s single practice session.

With drivers set to submit their tyres to longer stints and increased mileage in this evening’s Sprint event and in Sunday’s Grand Prix, this has led to fears of potential failures.

The FIA singled out the design of Lusail’s new “pyramid” kerbs - and the time drivers spend on them - as major contributing factors to the risk of tyre failures.

“A separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of tyres that were checked was discovered,” explained the FIA in a statement.

“It is the view of the FIA and Pirelli that a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue,” said the FIA in a statement.

“This issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs.”

Read also: Tsunoda fears Lusail now a "floor destroyer track'

New rules on track limits will be imposed at Turns 12 and 13, while an extra 10-minute familiarization session will take place at 4pm local time on Saturday, pushing back the start of the Sprint Shootout

This means that the start of this evening’s Sprint Shootout to 4.20pm, or 20 minutes later than initially scheduled. Saturday’s Sprint event which was scheduled for 8.30pm is also likely to be pushed back.

Following this evening’s 19-lap race, Pirelli will conduct a further analysis of its tyres to assess their safety for Sunday’s race.

If necessary, the FIA could impose a restriction on tyre usage for Sunday’s race on the grounds of safety by limiting each set of new tyres to a maximum of 20 laps and mandating at least three pitstops in the Qatar Grand Prix.

It has been reported that GPDA chairman Alex Wurz has convened a meeting of the drivers at Lusail to discuss the tyre situation and its implications on safety.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.