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The 2022 F1 season saw major rule changes in the sport. Many new elements were put into cars and races, with drivers taking maximum advantage of these to score points.
With the 2023 season around the corner, F1 revealed some rules that have been updated in the sport. Although these are only a handful, they are important for teams and drivers to understand and imply in races.
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Major rule changes for the 2023 F1 season
Here is a list of the 10 rules that F1 is changing for the upcoming 23-race season:
1. Changes in diffusers and ride height
The aerodynamic changes in the cars in the 2022 season did not go very well for all the teams on the grid. The ground effect was implied again after decades in expectation of the cars following each other closely. While this was achieved, many teams, especially Mercedes, AlphaTauri, etc. suffered from porpoising.
To counter this, F1 has made changes to the ride height of the car and also modified the diffusers. The floor edges have increased by 15mm, with the diffuser height and stiffness also increasing. Additional sensors will be used in cars to keep an eye on the porpoising effect.
2. Modified roll hoops
The British Grand Prix at Silverstone didn't go too well for Guanyu Zhou after a scary crash at the start of the race saw him turn upside down, drag, and fly to the catch fence. While his being perfectly safe after getting out of the car proves how safe F1 has become, there was a lesson for the authorities to learn there.
The roll hoop on the top of his car broke right after it turned upside down. The hoop is used to ensure that the driver's head is protected in the event of a similar crash. While Zhou was still safe because of the halo, the roll hoop breaking was a serious issue.
Following this, the authorities have mandated that the roll hoops must be rounded at the top to stop them from digging into the ground, and new physical tests will be added to ensure their strength.
3. Reduced minimum car weight
An issue brought up by many teams in 2022 was the new minimum car weight — 798kg without fuel — which made the cars much slower. However, the minimum weight has been reduced by 2kg for the new season, which means that the cars can go even faster.
4. Better mirrors for more visibility
Although this is less talked about, drivers have a very limited view of trailing cars. However, F1 has worked on that and the rear-view mirror on the cars will have their reflective width increased from 150mm to 200mm.
5. More sprint weekends
Sprint races, which were introduced in 2021, have been held only thrice every season. However, with increasing interest among fans and hosts, F1 has decided to double that number. There will be 6 sprint races to watch in 2023, and Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, United States, and Sao Paulo will be the venues.
6. Change in Paddock's working hours
F1 team members will have some relief in their working hours for the upcoming season. The third of the three restricted periods will begin an hour earlier this year, which will be effective on Fridays, and another complete hour will be swiped off for 2024.
7. Revised Qualifying Format and DRS trials
A Revised Qualifying Format (RQF) will be introduced in the 2023 season and its format will be used in two events. This will have mandated tire compounds for each stage of the three-part qualifying session.
Q1 will only see the use of hard tires, mediums will be mandated for Q2, and softs only in Q3. At the same time, intermediate and wet tires will be allowed if it rains during the sessions.
Drivers will be allowed to use no more than 11 sets of slick tires, four intermediates and three wet tires. Using DRS after just one lap of a safety car during a race will also be evaluated for an opportunity to use it all the time in the 2024 season.
8. Gearbox changes
Teams will now be allowed to make modifications to their homologated gearboxes. The only changes that teams were allowed to make were to resolve reliability problems or for cost savings. Now, if materials or parts are unavailable, teams will be allowed to modify their gearboxes. However, clear documentation and prior approval from the FIA will be required.
9. Clearing up the penalty confusion
Ahead of the grid penalty confusion that was caused at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022, regulations have now been updated to avoid any such confusion in the future. The segment reads:
“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.”
10. Flexibility in cooling the fuel
Reliability could see changes for the team, especially in hotter races, because of another small change that is being made for the cars. This will give the teams more freedom to cool their fuel, impacting their performance and reliability.
The fuel in cars should not be colder than 10 degrees centigrade below the ambient temperature, or just 10 degrees centigrade. Previously, this limit was at 20 degrees, but now, this small change could prove out to be helpful for the teams.
While these changes could affect the outcome of the 2023 season in a big way, F1 authorities are in talks for more changes for the 2024 season already. There is also talk of getting rid of the tire blankets that teams currently use for 2024. This will make the tires extremely cold for the drivers and it will become challenging for them to bring them up to temperatures.
