Pirelli’s Isola Excited for Introduction of New Qualifying Format for Formula 1 at Imola

The 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will see the first test of a new Qualifying format, with each of the three dry weather compounds supplied by Pirelli Motorsport to be used across the three segments.

The first part of Qualifying will see all twenty drivers mandated to use the hardest compound available, which for this weekend will be the C3 compound, while Q2 will see the fifteen drivers who advance switch to the medium C4 compound.

Those who advance to the top ten shootout will then be allowed to use the soft compound, this weekend the softest available to the teams, the C5.  The change to the format also means a reduction of available sets across the weekend for each driver from thirteen to eleven.

“The first round of the 2023 season in Europe will feature two important innovations in terms of tyres, both aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of our sport,” said Mario Isola, the Motorsport Director at Pirelli. 

“The first centres around qualifying: 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.”

The other change implemented by Pirelli this weekend is the introduction of a new compound of full wet tyres, a tyre that has previously come in for a lot of criticism, and Isola believes that the new tyre is an improvement on its predecessor even without the need of tyre warmers.

“Then, with the same aim, starting from this grand prix, a new compound of full wet tyre will be introduced which will not require the use of tyre warmers beforehand,” added Isola.  

“Track tests have shown even better performance than the previous Cinturato Blue full wet, even without the electric heating of the tyre. The result of studies carried out by Pirelli, it is the first concrete step towards the use of dry tyres without preheating.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, Isola believes the three compounds being brought to Imola will give the ten teams many different strategic options, which he hopes can spice up the race.

“Finally, we have chosen to bring our range of softer compounds (C3, C4, and C5) to Imola, which could offer the teams a wider range of strategic options ahead of the race,” he said.