New tyre regulations will be introduced next season in the hope of mixing up race strategies and improving the show.
After several races this year resulted in dull one-stop strategies, the FIA and tyre supplier Pirelli looked at ways to mix up the racing. The result is a system whereby drivers have a degree of choice over which compound they have available during a race weekend.
Next year five compounds will be used over the course of the season, including the new ultra-soft and the four existing compounds. Ahead of each grand prix, Pirelli will nominate three of the five for a race weekend.
Of the 13 sets of tyres available to each driver, Pirelli will choose two for the race (only one of which must be used in the race) and one set of the softest compound to be used in the final session of qualifying. Each driver will then select the remaining ten sets of tyres from compounds of his choice. In the race one of the tyres selected by Pirelli must be used, but the driver will have free reign to decide on strategy beyond that.
In theory the new regulations should allow drivers to pick compounds that best suit their car, driving style and strategy demands. Drivers within the same team will be allowed to make different choices, although it remains to be seen which teams will allow this. The nominations made to Pirelli will be kept secret until two weeks before the race and any team that fails to make its nominations ahead of the deadline will have its tyres picked by the FIA.