The Belgian Grand Prix will have something that hasn’t occurred in F1 since the 2022 Australian GP.

Formula 1 Returns with Belgian Grand Prix

Formula 1 makes its comeback this weekend after a two-week break, featuring the Belgian Grand Prix.

This race will showcase some elements not observed in the sport since the 2022 season.

Pirelli, the exclusive tire supplier for Formula 1, has set three smooth tire compounds for teams to use at the Belgian Grand Prix. This season, Pirelli provides six different smooth tire compounds, labeled C1 through C6, ranging from hard to soft. Each compound is categorized as either hard, medium, or soft.

For instance, during the British Grand Prix a few weeks back, C2 was classified as hard, C3 as medium, and C4 as soft. Meanwhile, at the Austrian Grand Prix, C3 was considered hard, C4 medium, and C5 soft.

In a notable shift, this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix will see the three tire options being non-periodic. Pirelli announced on Monday that the hardest tire, C1, will be labeled as hard, C3 as medium, and C4 as soft.

This marks the first occasion since the 2022 Australian Grand Prix that three tire options have not adhered to the usual scheme. In that race, C2 was hard, C4 was medium, and C5 was soft.

Pirelli suggests that this decision might encourage a two-stop strategy as a favorable approach. Last year, the C2 tires were labeled hard, C3 medium, and C4 soft. George Russell managed to win the race after executing a daring one-stop strategy, starting on C2 hard tires and maintaining that setup until lap 10.

However, his triumph was short-lived, as he was disqualified following a post-race check that revealed his car was underweight. That strategy may have contributed to his disqualification for two main reasons.

First, by pushing the tires to their limits, there was a worry about excessive wear. Secondly, given the characteristics of Spa, there’s no cooldown lap to gather extra rubber. After the race, drivers return to the pit lane right after turn 1.

This situation meant Russell didn’t have a chance to collect any extra rubber during a cooldown lap, which could have helped him achieve the minimum weight requirement.