F1 cars to get heavier as FIA accepts Pirelli's request for 2023 season

F1 cars are set to get heavier as according to reports, the FIA has accepted Pirelli's request for a weight increase this season. The weight of the cars has been a hotly contested topic. The new generation of cars are almost a whopping 200 kgs heavier than the cars in the 2000s.

Most of this increase in weight has been because of the increased size of the cars due to a bigger battery pack being installed in them.

As a result, the cars are not as fleet-footed as they used to be, which has resulted in criticism from Red Bull driver Max Verstappen. The reigning F1 champion talked about how the street circuits are not fun anymore as the car is just too slow for the slow-speed sections of a track.

The drivers are not in for any respite soon though as Racingnews365 reports that a prescribed 2 kg increase in the minimum weight of the car by Pirelli has been approved. The minimum weight was supposed to be 795 kg last season. However, teams were given a concession of 3 kg owing to 2 kg of stays fitted on the car to combat porpoising and the added 1kg from the FIA for the sensors.

For the 2023 F1 season though, the cars were supposed to go back to 796 kg but since Pirelli will be stiffening the sidewalls of the tires, a 2 kg allowance has been granted, making the total weight 798 kg.

The report states:

"The rise in 2022 to accommodate the stays was included in a technical directive, which did not roll over to '23, meaning the weight dropped back to 796kg. However, RacingNews365.com's sources have indicated that Pirelli will increase the weight of their tires after the sidewalls were strengthened."

"It is understood that the front tires will increase 500 g each, with the rears adding a further 200 g each for a total of 1.4 kg. Article 4.3 of the technical regulations states that the dry weight of the car can be adjusted when the weight of the tires changes."

Can this weight increase impact the F1 pecking order?

The increase in minimum weight is going to be a relief for many teams as multiple F1 cars were over the weight limit last season as well. However, since most of the increase will be compensated by the increase in tire weight, it's hard to see how this is going to significantly change the pecking order in the sport.

Having said that, even though there might be marginal gains here and there in terms of fractional jumps. You could see a team like Alfa Romeo, which already made weight in 2022 gain an advantage once again.