Some rule changes for 2023: what will change for the next F1 season?

Formula 1 has undergone a very significant change in regulations in 2022 and also in 2023 there will be some adjustments to the sport as we know it. The technical regulations for the new season remain almost the same, so the teams’ cars will often be an evolution of the 2022 car. Not only will there be changes in the technical area, but adjustments will also be made to the weekend format. of Grand Prize. F1Maximum prepare well for the next Formula 1 season.

The FIA ​​had hoped the new regulations would ensure the drivers could keep up much better and the peloton would come much closer together. The settlement was 50% effective on these two points, as one team was dominant and only seven drivers were on the podium. In addition, new technical regulations also caused enough problems during the year. This is why the FIA ​​decided before the summer break to implement changes for the coming year. Even after the summer break, the FIA ​​still saw enough areas for improvement.

Aerodynamic adjustments to prevent porpoising

In the first half of the season porpoising often still a topic of discussion, but after the summer break the phenomenon only seems to occur very sporadically. Despite the fact that the teams managed to get to the bottom of the matter, the FIA ​​decided to intervene after the complaints during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After Lewis Hamilton got out of his Mercedes car with back problems, the governing body realized it was also a safety issue. Some teams, including Red Bull Racing, disagreed, but the FIA ​​had already decided to raise the floors.

Initially, the FIA ​​wanted to raise the floors by 25 millimeters, but in consultation with the teams, the floors will be raised by fifteen millimeters in 2023. By raising the floors, the teams can no longer seek maximum downforce, but at the same time , the airflow is prevented from being trapped under the car and causing it to bounce. At the same time, the narrowest point of the diffuser is also widened. This is also done for porpoising and more accurate sensors will be installed under the floor to measure vertical oscillations.

These sensors have been used since the Belgian Grand Prix. If a car could not stay below the maximum vertical oscillation, the floor had to be raised. Most teams have already raised the floors preemptively over the remaining race weekends and it was speculated that this would have particularly affected the Ferrari team. After the summer break, speed had completely disappeared within the Italian racing team. Red Bull, which was hardly affected by the porpoising anyway, was the least affected by the change made by the FIA.

The minimum weight decreases

Where Formula 1 floors increase, minimum car weights will decrease. Last season this was further increased before the start of the season as most teams were well above the minimum weight. Red Bull in particular had to take a lot of weight off the car over the course of the season in order to close the gap to Ferrari. Also, Max Verstappen was not very happy with his overweight RB18. He experienced a lot of understeer and it’s not something the reigning world champion prefers. Once the weight was largely removed from the car, Verstappen got stronger and it helped him win his second world title.

Since most teams are now hovering around the minimum weight, this benchmark can be lowered further. Before the start of the season, Formula 1 cars had to weigh at least 798 kilograms. Frederic Vasseur, the boss of the team that will go from Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, was not very happy about it, to say the least. Alfa Romeo was already at minimum weight and the Frenchman found it strange that other teams had failed. For the coming season, the minimum weight will be reduced by two kilograms. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but Red Bull gained about three tenths after losing ten kilograms. So two kilograms definitely saves teams time.

More security measures, less creativity and less tampering

After Zhou Guanyu’s crash at Silverstone, adjustments will be made to the rollbar. It broke in the horrific Chinese crash, leaving the halo as the only thing that managed to save the driver’s life. The part must be able to support heavier loads and absorb a 15G impact with the ground. Besides the fact that the rollbar will be reinforced to ensure driver safety, the mirrors will also be adjusted. These are enlarged to reduce the blind spot behind Formula 1 cars.

Apart from the fact that the FIA ​​must ensure that safety is guaranteed, it naturally also wants to stimulate the creativity of the teams. Nevertheless, restrictive measures were taken by the administrative body. The Mercedes team brought a special front wing to the Canadian Grand Prix. There were several flaps on the front wing of the German racing team and this would generate more downforce. Initially, this was declared legal, but this innovation is no longer allowed for the upcoming season.

After multiple fuel temperature issues during the 2022 Formula 1 season, the FIA ​​has decided to make a rule change in this area as well. While the fuel temperature in 2022 should not be lower than twenty degrees Celsius, from 2023 the temperature should not be more than ten degrees Celsius lower than the ambient temperature. In cold weather, a minimum temperature of ten degrees Celsius applies. The ambient temperature is measured by the FIA ​​one hour before a practice session or three hours before the race.

FIA clarifies grid penalty rules

The FIA ​​has also caused enough confusion in the 2022 season. For example, during the Italian Grand Prix, there was a major fiasco around the starting grid. No one except Verstappen knew where everyone would start during the race. The FIA ​​decided to respond to this and simplify the rules somewhat. The fact that only one person knew exactly where he would be racing was of course not something the governing body could be very happy with. Still, it shows that Verstappen knows the rules of Formula 1 well.

For grid penalties of fifteen places or less, drivers will first be allocated a temporary grid position equal to their qualifying result plus the grid penalty. If this results in multiple drivers filling the same temporary position, the order will be determined by qualifying times. In this case, the driver with the slowest time will keep his provisional position and the drivers with faster times will be in front of him. Thereafter, drivers with no grid penalties will be allocated the unoccupied grid positions in order of their qualifying result. Drivers with a grid penalty of more than fifteen places join the rear and are therefore ranked as above.

More sprint races and new experiences in qualifying

In 2021, sprint races started on a trial basis and three were run. Last season it was supposed to be extended to six, but this met with a lot of opposition from the teams, so there were again three sprint race weekends in 2022. Next season, there will be six races. The Grands Prix in Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, USA and Brazil are all run as sprint race weekends. With this, the FIA ​​naturally hopes to increase the spectacle during Grand Prix weekends. The point system will remain the same for now.

Next season, two qualifying sessions will be redesigned. It will be a new experience. The FIA ​​wants to run with three different tire compounds during Q1, Q2 and Q3. This means that the drivers have to drive with the hards in the first part, with the mediums in the second part and the top ten of Q3 can show their skills on the softs. As a result, teams also receive fewer softs during a weekend and the number of hards and mediums is increased. For now, this will remain an experiment, but there is a chance it will be implemented on Saturdays in years to come, or Fridays if it is a sprint race weekend.

No more unexpected political statements

The latest rule that Formula 1 has changed concerns drivers’ political statements through helmet designs and t-shirts. These will not be banned immediately, but the FIA ​​would like to give its approval in advance for such a political statement. Drivers such as Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel frequently make a political statement and so the FIA ​​is fortunate to have one less target for the coming season as Vettel of course retires. However, the FIA’s choice has been the subject of much criticism. Drivers are thought to be ‘muzzled’ and this is a big step backwards for a sport that wants to move forward.

So, again, enough changes in Formula 1. Of course, they are not as big as last season’s rule change, but the teams still have to navigate some things. In addition, the FIA ​​has tried to provide some clarifications and the safety of the drivers must also be better guaranteed. However, not every rule change can count on the same amount of support. The fact that drivers must now first pass the FIA ​​to make a political statement, and therefore cannot be allowed to make the statement, has raised eyebrows. Either way, it remains to be seen whether the rule changes have the desired effect.