A new rule in qualifications tested in 2023
As part of Formula 1's intention to reduce the number of tire sets allocated to the teams, a new rule will be tested in 2023. For two weekends, drivers will not have the choice of which tyres to use in qualifying.
Formula 1 takes a new step to reduce its environmental impact. While the FIA announced its objectives for 2026, including environmental goals, a new announcement has been made in this regard. Originally planned to reduce the number of tire sets allocated to each team from 13 to 11 over two weekends next year, the qualification format will also be modified.
During these two weekends, drivers will be forced to use hard tires in Q1, medium tires in Q2, and soft tires in Q3. In the event of wet track conditions, the choice of tires will be free. By modifying this rule, Formula 1 aims to push drivers and teams to use more different types of tires, and thus have less waste at the end of the weekend.
Currently, drivers can rely on 13 sets of tires, including eight softs, three mediums, and two hards. For this experiment, they will have access to eleven sets of tires, with four sets of softs, four mediums, and three hards. The goal of this operation is to evaluate the on-track impact, with the overall intention of moving towards a more sustainable use of tires in the future, explained the FIA in a statement.
The two Grand Prix concerned have not yet been disclosed.
