Formula 1 teams preparing for EXCITING new rule change in Imola

Stacks of new tyres sitting in the garage — Photo: © LAT Images

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

F1 teams preparing for EXCITING new rule change in Imola

Teams will be looking for an advantage in a fresh qualifying twist this weekend

Chris Deeley

Tuesday 16 May 2023 18:57

Teams will be faced with a new challenge in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with new tyre requirements being introduced.

In an effort to reduce the number of tyres brought to each race weekend, teams will be required to use the hard tyre in Q1, the medium in Q2 and the soft in Q3 – rather than the previous system which saw them allowed to make their own choice of tyre.

Pirelli will also be bringing a new wet tyre to the race at Imola, which they say doesn't need heating before being fitted to the car.

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"Track tests have shown even better performance than the previous Cinturato Blue full wet, even without the electric heating of the tyre," Pirelli's Mario Isola said. "The result of studies carried out by Pirelli, it is the first concrete step towards the use of dry tyres without preheating."

Exciting time

The new tyre situation could lead to some fresh drama in qualifying as teams wrestle with the challenges of lighting up all three compounds of tyre.

Red Bull are still the clear favourites for the front row in Italy, but the midfield behind them could be shaken up somewhat.

"I’m wetting my lips. I think it’s a great idea because it means that the race is not going to be one-stop, probably," Damon Hill told the F1 Nation podcast.

"And, in Q1, you’re probably going to have people doing more than one lap. They might even just fill them up and say, ‘off you go and try and get the heat in the tyres’."