A meeting of the Formula 1 committee took place in London on Tuesday 21 February with the participation of team representatives, Formula 1 President Stefano Domenicali and FIA Single-Seat Racing Series Director Nicholas Tombasis. During the meeting, the participants discussed and approved the main changes that await Formula 1 in the new season.
Rain tires and aero set for rain
After successful tests carried out by Pirelli with the support of the teams, the Italian tire manufacturers have developed new rain tires that are more efficient than the previous modification – these tires do not need to be heated with heating pads. In Formula 1, this wet tire specification will be available from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
In addition, the FIA approved a proposal to create a separate automotive aerodynamic body kit for rain conditions. A Technical Guidance is currently being prepared which will allow the teams to carry out the relevant developments, not included in the budget constraints and restrictions on conducting aerodynamic tests. Track testing of new body kits is scheduled for the second or third quarter of 2023.
Radio communication between rider and team
The Formula 1 commission has approved a proposal to facilitate the regulation of radio traffic between the driver and the team at any time during the race.
“Closed park” mode in sprint stages
To reduce the workload for the FIA’s technical staff and inspectors during the sprint events, the Commission has approved a revised Closed Fleet request policy.
This mode now gives teams more options to replace the parts of the car most likely to be damaged in the sprint stages, and teams are allowed more use of the “self-declared closed fleet” mode. This mode is in effect from the time the car leaves the track on Friday during qualifying until the start of the race. The changes described above will be implemented through the Technical Guidance.
Track changes
The FIA has confirmed several updates and changes to the circuits for the upcoming season. In Saudi Arabia, the change was to improve visibility when entering a turn in all sections where possible. Full asphalt is being laid in Azerbaijan and Miami.
In Zandvoort, the distance between the pit stop positions has been increased by one and a half meters. In Qatar, a new box building will be built and the paddock infrastructure will be renewed.
The FIA revised the DRS zones in 2022 and made some changes for 2023 to make overtaking easier or more difficult on certain circuits. These changes will be implemented in Bahrain, Jeddah, Melbourne, Baku and Miami, and will include changes to measurement and activation points. A fourth DRS zone is being introduced in Melbourne.
Sports, technical and financial regulations
Minor changes to the 2023 sporting, technical and financial regulations were unanimously approved. These include mandatory shutdowns during the winter (similar to the August break), which applies to both teams and powertrain manufacturers.
In addition, the number of points awarded for short races is reduced, even if these races do not finish, but are suspended. FIA auditors will have easier access to the bases to verify that teams and powertrain manufacturers comply with financial regulations, as well as the operational constraints of technical and sporting regulations.
The original budget for 2023 was expected to be $135 million, but if there are more than 21 races, teams can spend an additional $1.2 million for each subsequent race. At today’s Formula 1 committee meeting, this figure was raised to $1.8 million. The adjustment is due to the increase in flight costs.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
