FIA officially BAN on F1 teams working on cars

They're looking to try and avoid a repeat of an incident from 2008

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 8 December 2023 20:57

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.

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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.

Audi, who will join the grid in 2026, are already working on their engine ahead of the new regulations

Ross Brawn admitted recently to throwing the 2008 season with Honda in order to focus on 2009, when his Brawn GP team won the world championship

Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Stefano Domenicali are two of the most influential men in Formula 1

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.”

FIA