F1 News
Consistency in F1: rules don't change until 2026
- Ludo van Denderen
Formula 1 teams are masters at finding loopholes to take advantage - actually against the wishes of the FIA. It is precisely teams that manage to find the smartest solutions when designing their cars that benefit the most. And that is going to continue for the time being.
Since 2022, ground effect returned. The rule and regulation changes had hoped to make it easier to follow an opponent. For instance, it has been stipulated that teams should push as little airflow off their cars and tyres as possible (called outwash). This, in fact, causes so-called 'dirty air', making it harder for chasers to close in and overtake.
But as always, teams create' dirty air' when regulations are in place for some time. This is mainly done through clever designs for the front wings. The regulations do not stipulate that such front wings are prohibited. And that will not change either, the FIA informs Motorsport.com.
Rules remain the same in '25
Although some rule changes were initially being considered for 2025, Nikolas Tombazis, director of the FIA, has now explained that steps to address certain problems teams are experiencing will not solve them now. Adjustments to the regulations will continue to be implemented in the rules from 2026, when the necessary, sweeping changes will already be in place.
So teams that currently have their affairs in order will obviously benefit. No doubt a team like Red Bull Racing has come up with ingenious solutions, making Max Verstappen's and Sergio Perez's cars work better than the competition's cars, but so there won't be a new rule that might take away the Austrians' advantage.