F1 will no longer introduce a crucial rule change for the 2023 season. A new rule change which would surely have been backed by Max Verstappen has been ditched ahead of the opening race.
Plans were in place to cut down the weight of F1 cars by around 2kg this year, 12 months on from the introduction of the new regulations. The technical rules published last year stated the minimum weight for 2023 would stand at 796kg, down on the 798kg set for 2022.
However, German newspaper Auto Motor und Sport claims the weight reduction plans have been axed. They report the decision to change the rule was made at a meeting of the sport’s technical advisory committee.
In the discussions, there had been talk of reducing the minimum weight by just 1kg to 797kg. The German media outlet even suggests there were talks about increasing the weight allowance by 1kg to 799kg.
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Mercedes seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was also left questioning F1’s decision to increase the weigh ahead of the 2022 rules update. The Briton stressed he didn’t feel increased weight was “the right direction” and complained at the difficulties behind the wheel.
He explained: “By going heavier and heavier and heavier, you’re using more and more energy. So that feels that’s not necessarily in the right direction or in the thought process. The lighter cars were more nimble, were nowhere near as big, naturally, and so racing, maneuvering the car, was better
“On the tracks we’re going to, they’re getting wider. In Baku it’s quite wide in places and of course it’s narrow in other places. Monaco was always relatively impossible to pass, but now the cars are so big that it’s too big for the track.”
