Imola Grand Prix to try out new qualifying rule

Pirelli will have two less sets of slick tyres for the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which is a part of the company’s attempt to achieve its sustainability goals. 

Pirelli is hoping to make the teams try out all tyre compounds for Qualifying, which will see the total number of slick tyres for drivers reduce from 13 sets to 11 sets for the upcoming race weekend. The new rules will see drivers having to use hard tyres in Q1, mediums in Q2 and softs in Q3.

The new allocation for the drivers is as follows:

• four sets of softs (instead of eight)
• four sets of mediums (instead of three)
• three sets of hards (instead of two)

Pirelli is also set to introduce a new full wet tyre over the weekend in order to improve sustainability by avoiding the use of electric tyre blankets. 

The Imola race is part of the first triple-header of the season. There will be further updates in Spain, where two sets of a new slick tyre will be tried out by teams in FP1 and FP2, while the new slick tyre will be introduced at the British Grand Prix later this year. 

Mario Isola, Director Motorsport, said:

“At Imola we will be testing a new regulation that requires teams to use a different type of compound for each of the three sessions, with the hards fitted for Q1, the mediums for Q2, and the softs for Q3. This means a reduction – from 13 to 11 — of the sets of dry tyres that each driver has available for the entire event, therefore decreasing the environmental impact generated by the production and transport of the tyres.

“Also with the same end in mind, starting with this Grand Prix a new compound for Full Wet tires will be introduced that will not require the use of thermal blankets before being used. Track tests have shown even better performance than the previous Cinturato Blue Full Wet, even without electrically heating the tire. This is a first concrete step, the result of studies carried out by Pirelli, toward the use of dry tires without preheating as well.“