What is allowed and not allowed during the summer break in Formula 1?

How long is the (mandatory) summer break?

In 2024, the summer break will last 24 days, from Monday 29 July to 22 August when the first free practice session in Zandvoort starts. During these 24 days, the factories of the F1 teams are required to be closed for fourteen days, consecutively. The most obvious option is to do this at the 'middle' of the summer break.

This is what teams are not allowed to do during the F1 summer break

There are a lot of things that teams in Formula 1 are not allowed to do during the mandatory fourteen-day 'shutdown'. For example, teams are not even allowed to book flights or hotels for the next races. It is also not allowed to arrange other activities around the upcoming Grands Prix. Furthermore, it is of course forbidden to improve the cars or even work on them. The use of wind tunnel time or CFD is therefore strictly forbidden. In addition, third parties of an F1 team are also not allowed to carry out tasks for the team in question.

Still, F1 teams can do some things

So there seems to be a lot that is forbidden during the mandatory closure of the factories, but of course there are also a number of things that the Formula 1 teams are still allowed to do. For example, it is allowed to maintain and renovate buildings. The FIA ​​has absolutely no problem with painting the walls, varnishing the wooden floor and replacing the window frames. The teams are still allowed to do something with the wind tunnel during the summer break, the crucial part for the development of the car may be maintained. The wind tunnel may also be used for projects that are not related to Formula 1.

This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi