Mandatory two-stops in F1 could hurt spectacle

Nov 8, 2025 | Formula 1

Debate within the F1 committee

The F1 commission is considering rules to force teams to make at least two pit stops. Several proposals are on the table. The aim is clear: more spectacle during grands prix. But there is much debate about the consequences.

What measures are on the agenda?

• Obligation to use all three compounds.
• Maximum stint length per set of tyres.
• A hard requirement that teams make at least two stops.

Why some parties are reluctant

Both teams and tyre supplier Pirelli warn that mandatory two-stops could have the opposite effect. Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra says more rules will make strategies more similar. Teams then all do the same thing. That might make the races less exciting.

Team managers are also thinking critically. Alan Permane of Racing Bulls fears that a mandatory second stop would actually take away variety. He points out that we often see exciting duels when drivers choose different strategies. If everyone does the same thing, those situations disappear.

Williams' James Vowles warns that forced rules could lead to identical strategies within a lap of each other. That is exactly what they want to avoid.

When does a race deliver more excitement?

Races often become the most fun when there are different strategies. Sometimes a driver wins by doing one stop. Sometimes someone actually benefits from two stops. A striking example was this season in Hungary. Lando Norris opted for one stop, Oscar Piastri for two stops. That made for an exciting fight between teammates.

Another example is Max Verstappen in Mexico. He opted for a medium/soft combination and was able to avoid an extra stop. On that day, we saw big differences in the number of pit stops within the top 10.

Factors determining strategies

Strategy does not just depend on ties. Overtaking opportunities play a big role. When overtaking is easy, teams are more likely to dare to take an extra stop. They know that lost positions can be regained. If overtaking is difficult, teams instead choose to maintain position and make fewer stops.

It almost creates a vicious circle. The harder it is to pass, the less varied the strategies become. And that, in turn, makes the races less attractive.

What is a sensible approach?

Many stakeholders say it is better to wait and see first. There will be sweeping technical changes in 2026. McLaren's Andrea Stella thinks you first need to see how these new cars race. Only then can you change the sporting rules.

Pirelli's Berra stresses that it is not only degradation that is important. The distance between tyre categories (the delta) is crucial. If two compounds are too close together, they offer little choice during the race. Larger time differences between tyres, on the contrary, can offer more diverse strategies.

• More relegation could make two-stops more attractive.
• Greater delta between compounds creates real choices.
• Better overtaking opportunities encourage strategic variation.

Conclusion

Mandatory two-stops could miss the mark. They could unify strategies and thus reduce spectacle. Many teams and Pirelli are therefore pleading for patience. First wait and see what the 2026 rules do. And then see which tyre rules are really needed. The focus is best on tyre characteristics and better overtaking opportunities, rather than hard stop requirements.

Hamilton reprimanded for not slowing down at yellow flag

Nov 8, 2025 | Formula 1

Stewards issue reprimand after Leclerc's spin

Lewis Hamilton was reprimanded after he did not visibly slow down at a double yellow flag during sprint qualifying in Brazil. The situation arose when his teammate Charles Leclerc turned briefly at the exit of turn 10, when the double yellow flag was shown.

What exactly happened

Hamilton was eliminated in the second session of qualifying. He will start Saturday's sprint from spot 11. The stewards concluded that he had broken the rules by not reducing his speed sufficiently. Nevertheless, he was not given a grid penalty.

Reason for reprimand rather than punishment

According to the stewards, the short duration of the signal played a role. The left warning panel was lit for only a fraction of a second, just as Hamilton turned into the corner. Nevertheless, the stewards felt he should have noticed he was in a yellow sector and clearly had to lower his speed.

Exquisite telemetry showed that Hamilton hesitated when reopening the throttle, but did not lose enough speed as required. For consistency with previous decisions, the stewards opted for a reprimand instead of the usual five-place grid penalty.

Response from Hamilton

Hamilton indicated during the hearing that he had not seen the left warning panel. He looked more to the right as he entered the corner and saw both Leclerc's car and a green signal at the exit point. He said he is now on 11 and will try to make the best of the sprint from there.

• Incident: Leclerc turned at turn 10, double yellow flag was shown.
• Hamilton: not enough speed reduced according to stewards.
• Telemetry: hesitation when accelerating, but no obvious speed reduction.
• Decision: reprimand instead of five-place grid penalty.
• Starting spot sprint: Hamilton on P11.

What does this mean for the sprint

Starting from 11 is a tricky position. Hamilton said he wants to keep having fun and will try to move forward. For the championship, this reprimand changes little, but it is another setback in a difficult season for him.

Piastri on his troubles in Austin and Mexico

Nov 7, 2025 | Formula 1

Summary

Oscar Piastri showed a marked decline since Baku. Where he had previously performed strongly, his speed stalled in Austin and Mexico. His teammate Lando Norris picked up ground during that period and leads the championship.

What happened

In Baku, Piastri crashed hard into the wall. He then collided with Norris during the sprint in Austin. In Mexico, he got no further than spot five while Norris dominated. Piastri called his sudden lack of speed a conundrum.

Conspiracy theories and the team response

Some pointed at the team and claimed McLaren would favour Norris. Piastri slammed those accusations. He said he respects team principles. McLaren leaves both drivers free to fight for the championship.

Zak Brown, the team's CEO, previously indicated that he would rather lose the championship than favour one driver. Piastri says the team is encouraging him to stand up for himself and that nothing fundamental needs to be changed.

The real cause: tyres and driving style

Piastri did deep self-examination. He attributes many of his problems to the Pirelli tyre selection for recent races. The compound helped move towards two softer compounds and one harder tyre. That combination called for different driving behaviour.

Austin and Mexico had different requirements from previous hot, slippery races, according to Piastri and the team. There, you had to continuously drive differently. That was new and required bigger adjustments than he had needed to make earlier this season.

• Tyre composition: more soft tyres in the set-up.
• Weather and track surface: higher temperatures and less grip.
• Driving style: more adaptive, continuous and consistent.

Experience and technical factors

Piastri is only in his third season in Formula 1. He acknowledges that lack of experience can play a role. Sometimes he underestimates how much adaptation certain circuits require.

There also remains an open question about different front-wheel suspensions. Norris has been driving with a different front wheel configuration for some time. That change helped him improve steering feel earlier in the season. Piastri does not rule out the possibility of that having an impact, but has not yet found conclusive evidence of it.

Mentality: pursuer versus pursued

Piastri says the mental change from leader to chaser does not have a big effect. The points difference is small. He wants to keep taking the same risks as before. His focus is on adjusting and finding the right tools in the car.

The rise of Norris

Norris is visibly improving. He is working more on his preparation and his mental approach. After problems earlier this season, he took steps to be more emotionally stable. He says himself that the progress is mainly due to hard work and a good team around him.

Norris also admits that he sometimes takes a little more risk because he now has less to lose. But he stresses that the results come mainly from work and improvement, not just a different mindset.

What Piastri is doing now

Piastri looks for answers and adjusts his driving style where necessary. He does not want to adjust too much and thereby lose something that worked well before. He now has directions, but admits not all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

His plan is clear: understand what the car and tyres demand, practise with those adjustments and try to get back to his old level as soon as possible.