“Let’s push it back to 2023”: Michael Masi confirms that Formula 1 have postponed the major ‘sporting’ changes by a year

 FIA race director Michael Masi confirmed that the major sporting changes we were going to see in Formula 1 in 2022 have been postponed. 

Formula 1 will be racing with entirely new technical regulations next year onwards. These changes have been introduced in order to improve the sport and promote closer racing between the drivers. Even the cars are going to look drastically different from what they do now.

In July, F1 announced these changes in regulations promising better racing action and more people competing for race wins.

However, the ‘major sporting changes’ that were going to be introduced next year have now been been postponed, according to Masi.  This decision helps the teams to take time and understand the new regulations properly.

Michael Masi confirmed that the changes will definitely take effect 2023 onwards.

We will give the teams time to adjust to the technical changes, says Masi

“It was a consensus with the teams actually,” he said.

“I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me. A number of them said straight out that with all of the other things that we have going on with new cars etcetera. Let’s do ourselves all a favour with keeping what we have.”

“Grab all the elements that have changed in ’22, put them in the known format that we have because a lot is happening to the car next season. Let’s go for something known rather than something completely unknown. 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 and bring it into the current format.”

“The sporting directors have all clearly acknowledged together with all of that. With all of the various management of Covid requirements that everyone’s been working on, it’s tough. It is something that they would prefer just to put off for 12 months.”

The F1 weekend, which lasts for 4 days now, will be reduced to 3 days according to the new plans. It will see the removal of Thursday’s ‘Media Day’. New aspects and rules related to Sprint Qualifying will also be introduced.

Also read: “Our front/nose is now defined and will be significantly different”– Ferrari 2022 design to be significantly different from car reveal in Silverstone