A new year brings new changes to Formula 1 and Qualifying.
A new format welcomed the year, 32 days out from Bahrain’s round. Whilst some teams are yet to reveal their liveries, designs, etc for 2023, one thing is clear – the new way to qualify.
A new mandate on tyres for each stage of the regular three-part qualifying sessions has been brought in, altering what we’ve come to know. Q1, Q2 and Q3 remain the same setup, however going forward it is mandatory for drivers to run Hards in Q1, Mediums in Q2 and Softs in Q3, with leniency for intermediates and wets when wet weather has been declared.
Other changes to follow include a reduction in minimum weight, stronger roll hoops which is especially important after Zhou Guanyu’s (23) shunt at Silverstone in 2022, and revised mirrors to increase visibility for drivers after Oracle Red Bull Racing and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team underwent testing in Hungary and Belgium during 2022. From testing, mirror advancements now include the width of the reflective surface increasing by 50mm, taking the measurements from 150mm to 200mm for the season ahead.
The roll hoop changes come from the 2023 technical regulations, stating that a rounded top is now required on the roll hoop. This reduces the chances of it digging into the ground during an incident – however, there’s also a minimum height for application of the homologation test. This is regarding the approval and, or, certification process of a vehicle or component that is required to be passed for participation in a race.
There’s also a reduction in minimum car weight to look out for. During 2022, weight was a highly popular topic with the new design we adapted to, as a common hurdle across the paddock included sticking to or getting as close to 798kg without fuel. The new minimum car weight is 796kg without fuel, making a huge challenge again this season as teams will need to find a way to reduce weight entirely.
Qualifying is primarily the second most exciting part of a race weekend, and Formula 1 is bringing in a change. As mentioned earlier, the tyre compounds have been altered for each session. RQF (revised qualifying format) will only take place at two events this season to make sure the changes will be suitable in the future from 2024. All sessions will have a mandated compound, unless RQF declare wet weather, meaning the choice between inters and wets can be personal.
Going forward at RQF events, drivers will be limited to 11 sets of dry weather tyres, 4 sets of intermediate tyres and 3 sets of wet tyres. This compares to previous seasons with 13 sets of dry weather tyres, 4 inters and 3 wets, remaining similar.
Sprint sessions in 2023 will have DRS trials as activation after starts and safety car restarts will be evaluated. The F1 commission will continue to decide if DRS activation should be brought forward by a lap after a race start, safety car restart, or sprint race start in 2024.
Grid penalties are the next change, after minor gearbox tweaks, meaning that confusion will be reduced for the future. The rule book section regarding grid penalty now suggests: “Classified drivers who have accrued more than 15 cumulative grid position penalties, or who have been penalised to start at the back of the grid, will start behind any other classified driver. Their relative position will be determined in accordance with their qualifying classification.”
A positive change coming F1’s way is flexibility to cool fuel, which has the potential to impact reliability. Although a small change, it will be super handy in hotter races. The changes put together as fuel in a car must not be colder than the lowest of either 10 degrees centigrade below ambient temperature, or 10 degrees centigrade anytime when a car is running after leaving the garage. This has been lowered from a previous 20 degrees.
How do you think these changes will impact the 2023 season? Leave your predictions below!
Until next time,
Tayla Talks
Tayla Talks 
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