How will the new F1 qualifying format to be tested in 2023 work?

F1 will test a new qualifying format at two race weekends in 2023. Drivers will now get 11 slick tires allotted to them instead of 13 in a bid to reduce wastage.

The sport recently announced that the upcoming Emilia Romagna GP will be the first venue to test this qualifying system. The current qualifying system has been a massive success since its introduction in 2006.

With two sets of tires being removed from the pool, drivers will have to take better care of their tires during the qualifying rounds, adding an element of never-before-seen strategy.

The compounds available will be as follows: Four soft, three hard and four medium compound tires. More specifically, in Q1, the drivers will only be allowed to run on hard tires; in Q2, they will be on mediums; and in Q3, they can use softs.

The second venue to test this new concept has not yet been announced by the sport.

Speaking on the new F1 qualifying system with GPBlog, Pirelli's motorsport manager Mario Isola said:

"On those race weekends, the number of slicks available to drivers will be 11 instead of 13. With this alternative tyre selection, we will have the hard tyre for Q1, the medium tyre for Q2 and the soft tyre for Q3, with two sets of each tyre. In qualifying, conditions will then be the same for everyone.''

---

Fans can watch F1 races in-flight or in the middle of the ocean

Thanks to the latest broadcasting agreement between F1 and IMG, spectators can now watch F1 races while flying or sailing. IMG will be streaming the races on its Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra channels for the next three seasons.

Both channels will showcase 150 hours of live content, including highlights from all events. These channels are currently accessible on several airline and cruise line carriers, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, MSC Cruises, and others.

The agreement commenced ahead of the 2023 Bahrain GP, giving fans further options to watch the race.

Michaella Snoeck, the head of media rights for the sport, said of the deal:

“As Formula 1 continues to grow around the world, we are excited that we can now broadcast Formula 1 live in-ship and in-flight to travelling fans. The last few seasons have shown that the drama and excitement of Formula 1 is not to be missed. Now, together with Sport 24, fans will be able to enjoy the spectacle of F1 wherever they are.”

The sport's expansion has been truly remarkable to watch as fans from across the world can access the action regardless of their location.