F1 set for four major rules changes ahead of 2023 season

Lewis Hamilton on difficult season for Mercedes in November

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Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will have to follow a range of new rules in 2023 as the FIA makes a series of changes. Updates to grid penalties, improved technical regulations and new formats are among the changes set to come into effect within weeks.

Back-of-the-grid penalties

F1 has changed how grid penalties work after drovers and fans were left baffled by qualifying results in 2022. Hamilton and Verstappen were making nine drivers penalised at the Italian Grand Prix which caused carnage in the paddock.

AlphaTauri star Pierre Gasly even took to social media to ask where he would line up as almost half the grid took new components. Drivers who were handed a 15-place grid penalty did automatically drop to the back of the field.

However, this has been scrapped with drivers simply given a straight demotion in a bid to make sorting out grids less complicated.

The regulation now 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.”

Technical changes

F1’s minimum ride heights have been raised by 15mm for 2023 in a bid to reduce the effects of porpoising. Other technical changes include a raising of the diffuser throat to make the car more tolerant of ride height changes.

New sensors will also be installed to measure the car’s vertical forces more accurately on top of the existing measures introduced at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix. The minimum weight of the cars will also drop from 798kg to 796kg while roll hoops must be able to withstand stronger impacts after Zhou Guanyu’s British GP horror shunt.

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Tyres in qualifying

Teams will take part in a special tyre format at two races next season in a sustainability move. Drivers will be required to use one of each of the three compounds during the three-stage qualifying session.

Hard tyres will be mandatory in Q1 with mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3. The FIA said the changes were “to evaluate the impact of the reduction in tyre allocation on track-running, with the overall intention to move to more sustainable use of tyres in the future.”

Sprint races

The FIA has doubled the number of sprint races for 2023 with six on the calendar. The first event will be held at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April with sprints also taking part in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, USA and Brazil.

Teams have been allocated extra funds in their cost cap allowance to cater for any increase in incidents.

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