F1 tweaks flawed points rule, eases radio restrictions and approves new rain tyres · RaceFans

The Formula 1 Commission has approved a series of rules changes for the 2023 season.

The commission, which involves representatives of all 10 F1 teams, met today in London. The meeting was chaired by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the recently-appointed FIA single seater director Nikolas Tombazis, who has taken over day-to-day running of the series from president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Among the items on the agenda was rewriting a rule introduced last year to award less points for shortened races. This caused confusion over the championship-deciding Japanese Grand Prix, where full points were unexpectedly awarded for a race which covered little more than half distance.

The new wording will “ensure that shorter races have reduced points even if they don’t finish with a suspended race”, F1 and the FIA noted in a joint statement. All rules changes agreed by the commission require the final approval of the FIA World Motor Sports Council before being added to the regulations in time for the start of the new season next week.

The commission has also agreed to “relax the regulation of radio messages to and from the drivers at all times during a competition”. Teams have previously been forbidden from communicating to their drivers during formation laps, a rule which was introduced to make it harder for drivers to perfect their starting procedures.

A new wet weather tyre construction has been approved for use from the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May. The new tyre is said to be “much more” capable than the previous version and “does not require the use of tyre blankets”.

“The FIA is grateful for the offers of support made by the teams for the wet weather package project, as presented in the last F1 Commission meeting,” the statement added. “A technical directive is being prepared to allow teams to do such work outside the Aerodynamic Testing Restriction (ATR) limits and outside the cost cap. Track testing will be planned for the second or third quarter of 2023.”

Revisions to the sprint race regulations have been agreed which will give teams greater freedom to alter their cars between sessions. This will reduce “the current excessive workload on FIA technical staff and scrutineers during events that include a sprint session,” which was the governing body’s reason for initially objecting to an increase from three to six sprint races this year.

“The commission approved a revised parc fermé request acceptance policy, in which Sprint weekend…