FIA officially BAN on F1 teams working on cars

The FIA have officially announced a ban on teams making any progress on 2026 cars until 2025.

Formula 1's governing body, who have been under immense strain recently following incidents surrounding Toto and Susie Wolff, have made the move ahead of a crucial few years for teams with sweeping new regulations coming into the sport.

While most power unit manufacturers have already started work on their new-style engines, getting ahead of the competition in terms of car design will not be allowed, under new guidance that was set out at last month's F1 Commission meeting.

The rules are designed to stop teams from completely throwing the 2025 season in order to give themselves the best chance in 2026, something that Ross Brawn recently admitted doing in 2008 in a Disney + documentary.

2026 changes to F1

Multiple team bosses have already earmarked 2026 as the time for a world championship challenge, with the grid expected to be shaken up by the new regulations, which are designed to improve racing and decrease the impact that the sport has on the environment.

In a statement, the FIA made it clear exactly what teams will and won't be allowed to do before 2025.

"With the exception of dyno testing aimed to develop brake system components with minimal air ducting and provided such tests do not concurrently test (or in any way provide incidental data or knowledge on) the performance or endurance of parts or systems classified as bodywork, no wind tunnel testing may be carried out using car geometry partially or wholly compliant with and/or substantially derived from drafts and/or published versions of the 2026 F1 technical regulations or FIA proposed 2026 bodywork geometries and concepts.”

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