F1 pushes back tire blanket ban, discussed PU equalization
Formula 1 teams have agreed to delay the potential introduction of a ban on tire blankets by at least a year, while also wanting further investigations into power unit equalization.
Pirelli has been conducting testing to introduce slick tires in 2024 that would not use tire blankets, having already managed to make the step with wet tires. However, with some drivers opposed to the change — mainly driven by sustainability reasons to reduce energy consumption when heating tires — a meeting of the F1 Commission led to the decision to keep blankets next year and continue with testing to try and make the change in 2025.
That was one of many items pushed back as a result of the meeting, with some teams sympathizing with what has been described as a “notable” power unit deficit for Alpine but requesting further analysis through the Power Unit Advisory Committee to remedy it.
The topic of capital expenditure was also discussed in order to try and close inherent discrepancies between teams with different levels of facilities, with the Financial Advisory Committee tasked with continuing to look into it.
Following the chaotic end to the Australian Grand Prix, the idea of a fixed point where all restarts would be a rolling resumption rather than a standing start was discussed, but no agreement was reached. For now it will remain up to the race director to assess what is the best course of action for resuming a race.
Following the chaotic end to the Australian Grand Prix, the idea of a fixed point where all restarts would be a rolling resumption rather than a standing start was discussed, but no agreement was reached. For now it will remain up to the race director to assess what is the best course of action for resuming a race.
Looking ahead to 2026, an update was provided regarding the next set of technical regulations, with the FIA stating: “Significant progress has been made on this project that is ongoing, and the FIA is currently analyzing the most effective ways to achieve a significant reduction in the size and weight of the cars, as well as improving the energy management.”
One confirmed item from the meeting was that pre-season testing’s dates for 2024 have been set for Feb. 21-23 in Bahrain.
For more information: www.racer.com
For more information: www.racer.com
