This inadvertently allows teams who are not anticipating making it through to Q3 or SQ3 in normal circumstances to use all their new sets of soft tyres in Friday’s ‘standard’ qualifying session. This also allows drivers to make it through to SQ3 and not take part if they do not carry over a new set of softs.
The FIA organised a vote among the teams on Friday to try and close the loophole in the rule, but the F1 teams rejected the last-minute change despite provisions being in place to allow temporary changes to rules on sprint weekends if eight teams vote to approve them.
