Three questions for the Ferrari team's strategist

      Cameron Roberts, Ferrari’s 28-year-old strategist, explained what kinds of tasks the team will have to address at the Qatar round…

      Question: This weekend a restriction introduced by Pirelli will be in force: no more than 25 laps may be done on each set of tyres. How will this affect strategic choices? Cameron Roberts: The 25-lap limit on each set of tyres means drivers will have to make at least two pit stops, and the situation is comparable to what we saw in Qatar in 2023, when there was an 18-lap limit and that required three stops in the pits.

      Teams will have to choose between options with early pit stops, which entail losing positions, and trying to gain an advantage by maximising the length of the first stint in the hope that a safety car appears, which could allow them to move forward.

      On a short stint drivers can attack more aggressively and worry less about conserving tyre life, but this narrows the range of strategic options, and with that approach qualifying becomes even more important. On a track where overtaking is difficult you need to try to start from a good position.

      Question: And which scenario will be preferable in Qatar? Cameron Roberts: In the past we’ve seen examples of economical tyre usage at this track (Fernando Alonso in 2021 did a very long first stint on a scrubbed set of soft tyres, and that allowed the two-time world champion, who that season was still racing for Alpine, to climb onto the podium).

      But Qatar is not Monaco, and here we are unlikely to see teammates helping each other by trying to slow the pack so that the team driver ahead can make a pit stop.

      Perhaps on Sunday we will see a picture similar to the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, when drivers could attack actively because they didn’t need to save tyres and there was no need to stay out for many laps.

      Our first indications will come during Saturday’s sprint, when drivers will probably attack over all 19 laps.

      Question: Tell us a bit about yourself: how did you come to Ferrari, and what does working for this team mean to you? Cameron Roberts: I joined Ferrari through the team’s Engineering Academy in 2020 immediately after graduating from university and initially worked in the mathematical modelling department (now the AI-modelling department), after which I moved to the race strategy department.

      My colleagues are some of the most talented people in motorsport, passionate about their work, and I set myself ever more challenging tasks and try to learn something every day. Everyone who wears the Ferrari red uniform is truly proud of it and understands that our work continues a glorious racing heritage that spans many decades.