Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Yep, time for me to start the thread for next year’s season already.
After a bit of a disappointment in that there was almost no competition for RBR this year due to Ferrari throwing it all away and Mercedes producing a rare absolute dog, I think anyone interested in F1 will be hoping for a closer battle in ‘23.
A few changes for next year, although nothing set in stone quite yet.
Technical regulations
Following porpoising during 2022, the FIA is proposing to introduce changes to the regulations to limit excessive porpoising. Floor edges would be raised by 15 millimetres (0.59 in) and the throat of the diffuser would also be raised, by a yet to be determined amount. The diffuser edge stiffness will be increased and an additional sensor will be mandated to monitor the porpoising phenomenon more effectively. Lateral floor deflection tests are also due to be more stringent. Following Zhou Guanyu's crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix, a rounded top will now be required on the roll hoop, which will reduce the chance of it digging into the ground during an accident; a change will be made to ensure a minimum height for the point of application of the homologation test; there will be a new physical homologation test where the load pushes the roll hoop in the forward direction; there will be a definition of new tests, to be carried out by calculation.
Sporting regulations
With the intention of making tyre usage more sustainable in the future, Formula One will trial a reduction in allocated tyre sets from 13 to 11 at two races in 2023. At these races the use of tyres in qualifying will be mandated as hard in Q1, medium in Q2 and soft in Q3, assuming that the weather is dry. Teams are usually free to choose which tyre compound they run during qualifying.
Sprint events
Sprint races are due to be run at six Grands Prix for 2023, compared to three in 2021 and 2022. They are due to take place at the Azerbaijan, Austrian, Belgian, United States and São PauloGrands Prix, with a sixth event yet to be announced.
Testing
There is due to be one pre-season test, at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 23–25 February.
I’ll get round to teams/drivers when I can be arsed
After a bit of a disappointment in that there was almost no competition for RBR this year due to Ferrari throwing it all away and Mercedes producing a rare absolute dog, I think anyone interested in F1 will be hoping for a closer battle in ‘23.
A few changes for next year, although nothing set in stone quite yet.
Technical regulations
Following porpoising during 2022, the FIA is proposing to introduce changes to the regulations to limit excessive porpoising. Floor edges would be raised by 15 millimetres (0.59 in) and the throat of the diffuser would also be raised, by a yet to be determined amount. The diffuser edge stiffness will be increased and an additional sensor will be mandated to monitor the porpoising phenomenon more effectively. Lateral floor deflection tests are also due to be more stringent. Following Zhou Guanyu's crash at the 2022 British Grand Prix, a rounded top will now be required on the roll hoop, which will reduce the chance of it digging into the ground during an accident; a change will be made to ensure a minimum height for the point of application of the homologation test; there will be a new physical homologation test where the load pushes the roll hoop in the forward direction; there will be a definition of new tests, to be carried out by calculation.
Sporting regulations
With the intention of making tyre usage more sustainable in the future, Formula One will trial a reduction in allocated tyre sets from 13 to 11 at two races in 2023. At these races the use of tyres in qualifying will be mandated as hard in Q1, medium in Q2 and soft in Q3, assuming that the weather is dry. Teams are usually free to choose which tyre compound they run during qualifying.
Sprint events
Sprint races are due to be run at six Grands Prix for 2023, compared to three in 2021 and 2022. They are due to take place at the Azerbaijan, Austrian, Belgian, United States and São PauloGrands Prix, with a sixth event yet to be announced.
Testing
There is due to be one pre-season test, at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on 23–25 February.
I’ll get round to teams/drivers when I can be arsed