@xooolooov @formula1 I think also the high speed corners play a role in this

Temperature, new tarmac, and most importantly saw tooth edging on the corners that the drivers are all over. Only place with that type of edging and it’s eating the tyres

As well as the points the other replies have made, it’s also in the desert so the sand generally adds to the tyre degradation too

The problem here isn’t traditional deg, that happens across the contact patch as the tire spins and slides.

The problem they are having is sidewall deg and separating construction within the tire. The rubber compound and the belts within the sidewall are coming apart, supposedly because of the new pyramid style kerb design used for this race. That’s why they modified part of the track yesterday and moved the white line farther away from that style kerb.

The traditional deg here is massive but that’s something the teams usually have figured out before Sunday. Since this was a sprint weekend they’ll have less data than they’d like but that just makes the race more exciting with multiple tire strategies in play.

The issue this weekend is one of safety because of a poorly tested track design and racing on a green track. It’s becoming somewhat of a tradition in F1.