The rule changes for the 2023 Formula 1 season are manageable compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, they should improve the racing decisively. For the premier class dares some experiments. On the other hand, no risk is taken when it comes to security.
Some of the most important rule changes for the coming Formula 1 season, such as the new minimum height of the underbody, the new minimum weight of the car, the new minimum temperature for the fuel or the adjusted budget ceiling, are not directly visible to fans.
Other innovations, on the other hand, catch the fans’ eye directly. They should improve racing and safety in the long term. Because the effects cannot be foreseen, Formula 1 will start a test phase in some cases in 2023. The new Formula 1 rules that have so far gone under the radar include:
In order to ensure more action after a start or restart, next season the drivers will receive DRS approval after the first free lap. At this point, the field is still tight. Thanks to earlier DRS assistance, there should be more overtaking manoeuvres.
The times when, for example, the leader drove out of the DRS window of the second-placed car after two laps and from then on did his laps alone at the front could be over. The aim is to keep the field closer together over a longer period of time.
Because it is not foreseeable whether an earlier DRS approval will end in chaos, the new rule will initially only be tested in two of the six planned sprint races. It is not yet known in which races the rule will be applied.
End of the hoop roulette
Another experiment relates to qualifying or two qualifying sessions. Here the teams are given the tires they have to use in Q1, Q2 and Q3. This means that in Q1 each driver has two sets of hard tires available, in Q2 two sets of medium tires and in Q3 two sets of soft tires.
The aim of the new rule is to limit tire consumption and increase sustainability. The total number of tire sets is to be reduced from 13 to 11 over these two weekends. Instead of eight sets of the softest compound, each driver only has four. The number of medium sets increases from three to four, hard sets from two to three.
A total of six tire compounds are available for the coming season. Each of these compounds has been optimized by Pirelli to give drivers less tire management and more full throttle. The goal: better racing.
Lessons from the horror crash
Guanyu Zhou’s horrible accident at Silverstone has prompted the FIA to change the roll bar regulations. From 2023, this must be shaped in such a way that it can withstand higher loads. This will inevitably change the look of the cars. Zhou’s roll bar broke off as a result of his horror crash.
From now on, the bracket has to withstand a vertical load of 12 tons and an impact with a force of 15 G. To do this, the new brackets must also be able to withstand higher horizontal forces. At Silverstone, it was ultimately the Halo system alone that was responsible for Zhou not suffering any serious injuries. The new regulations are intended to further increase safety.
Not a result of the Zhou accident, but a general new safety measure, is the introduction of a new minimum size for rear-view mirrors, which must now be 200×60 instead of just 150×50 millimeters.
No more punishment chaos
Many fans have been getting on the nerves of the regular punitive transfers in the starting line-up for years. Formula 1 will not completely get rid of the topic in 2023 either, but the premier class is now introducing clearer rules that should be understandable for everyone.
One of the new rules states: If a driver receives a penalty of 15 or more places (e.g. for an engine and transmission change), he will be penalized behind the last qualified driver. So if Max Verstappen takes pole and then receives a 15-place penalty, he will not start the race from 16th place, but from the end of the field.
If several drivers collect a 15-place penalty, they must sort themselves behind the last regularly qualified driver according to their qualifying result. If parts of the transmission are changed, the new maximum penalty is five places.
What will also no longer exist in the future are the outrageous penal transfers of 20, 30 or more places. The penalties per part will no longer be added from 2023. If multiple parts are changed, the maximum penalty will only be applied to one part. It remains to be seen whether the confusion of penalties will become a little clearer as a result.
Christian Schenzel