The normal regulatory procedure has been implemented which requires the minimum weight of the single-seaters to be adjusted as the mass of the tires varies. Pirelli has officially communicated to the FIA that the 2023 tires will be 1.5 kg heavier than a set of tires from last year and the International Federation has decided to adjust the minimum weight of the cars bringing it back to last year’s 798 kg with a rounding to 2 kg.
It’s a real shame that this update was communicated to the teams in the last technical meeting held these days, because for the first time since 1987, Formula 1 had started a major turnaround : begin to lower the weight, given that in the last 36 years there has been no increase.
Gerhard Berger, Ferrari F1-87, at the Australian GP: 1987 was the last drop in weight of F1 single-seaters
Photo by: Ercole Colombo
In 1987 the cars weighed 500 kg and today we have reached 798 kg, which is 298 kg more! It is true that current F1s are much bigger and longer (an estimated 2.21 kg per centimetre): the mass has grown due to the constant introduction of new safety measures and the complexity of the power units that a hybrid system carries with it , but the FIA had decided on a change of direction which should also follow the definition of the rules of the future.
The attempt failed, although the team technicians worked hard on the 2023 single-seaters with the intention of bringing them below the expected 796 kg threshold, so as to be able to place ballast in the most useful points to find the best balance of the car.
The 2022 F1s were all overweight (except for the Alfa Romeo C42 which was on the 798 kg limit and which had chosen a slightly shorter wheelbase than its rivals, precisely to reach its target), but after a drastic and costly slimming treatment (they are about 250,000 euros for each kilo removed!) should arrive under weight.
It is therefore correct to say that, although the cars placed on the scale will have the same weight as last season, net of the Pirelli tires they will be lighter. The Milanese manufacturer intervened on the front tires to correct the natural tendency to understeer, but the teams were perfectly informed about the changes, so no surprises…
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