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The Formula 1 Hungarian GP 2023 slated to be hosted on July 23, Sunday, has been making headlines for more than one reason. Where Red Bull is one the verge of breaking McLaren’s long-standing record of 11 victories, the organisers have introduced changes in the qualifying format. So, after the tyres have been modified and the sprint has undergone changes, it is the qualifying format that will undergo a makeover to ensure a greater parity between the teams.
The organisers are set to introduce Alternative Tyre Allocation as an experiment this weekend, where teams will be restricted when it comes to their tyre choices. Hence, teams will have limited tyre choices in each qualifying session instead of having a free choice, as long as the track is dry.
According to the new qualifying format, drivers will only be restricted to hard tyre in Q1, medium tyre in Q2 and soft tyre in Q3. Not only this, but over the course of the race weekend, each driver will have access to three sets of hard tyres, four medium tyres and four soft tyres. Therefore, the total tyre allocation will get to 11 from 13.
Meanwhile, all the new restrictions will only apply to a dry qualifying session, and if it rains in Hungary during the weekend, the teams will have a free choice over the intermediate or full wet tyre. The new format was set to be executed at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, but due to heavy rainfall and flooding, it was cancelled. After the July 23 GP, its second trial would be conducted at Italian Grand Prix, post summer.
