Next season, drivers who qualify in the top ten will once again start their race on the tyre they used in Q2, thus leaving the current rule unchanged. Formula 1 unassailable front-runners - Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull - were often seen at advantage in qualifying this year, the trio's superior performance allowing it at some venues to make the final Q3 cut while using a more durable compound in Q2, therefore awarding their drivers a strategic advantage on race day. To guarantee a start on the rubber of their choice, mid-field drivers were often encouraged to purposefully avoid a fast run in Q2, a tactic that runs counter-trend to the very essence of qualifying. Pirelli's Isola: Boring...
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