PARIS − FIA race director, Michael Masi, revealed that the rewritten sporting rules for Formula One will be placed on hold for a year in a bid to allow teams more time to fully understand the new regulations, although some necessary changes will still filter through, according to a report by GP Fans yesterday.
“It was a consensus with the teams, actually,” explained Michael.
“I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, but a number of them said straight out, that with all of the other things that we have going on with new cars et cetera, let’s do ourselves all a favour with fine-tuning what we have.
“Grab all the elements that have changed in ’22, put them in the known format that we have, because with everything else happening next year with the new car, let’s go for something known rather than something completely unknown, where we’re all just going to be flying a bit blind, and not as used to it.”
“Let’s do that. Postpone it until 2023, get all of the relevant elements that were changed in the ’22 regulations, which will be brought into the current format.”
Changes include reducing a weekend from four days to three days − through the removal of the traditional Thursday media day − as well as various other aspects related to the sprint qualifying format.
When asked if FIA will definitely introduce the full, updated sporting regulations in 2023, Michael added: “Yes, we will. For ’23 is the aim.
“The sporting directors have all clearly acknowledged together with all of that, with all of the various management of Covid requirements and so forth, that everyone’s time to get their head around that is something that they would prefer just to put off for 12 months.” – Agencies, October 22, 2021
