F1 News: FIA chief admits failure over key change

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FIA chief admits FAILURE over key F1 change

The FIA overhauled F1's regulations for the 2022 season

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Sunday 16 June 2024 08:57

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One of the top figures from within the FIA has admitted that the last set of Formula 1 regulations have not worked as planned.

Every few years, F1 introduce rule changes to keep the sport fresh, with the last big change coming in 2022.

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The headline takeaway from the changes made that year was a return to 'ground effect' aerodynamics in an effort to allow cars to follow each other more closely and therefore make races more competitive.

Along with the ground effect floor, simplified front and rear wings were also introduced, as well as 18-inch tyres with wheel winglets.

Ferrari's F1-75 showcases how cars looked in 2022

The FIA's example of how F1 cars could look in 2026

Did F1's 2022 regulations work?

F1 is next set to undergo a major regulations change in 2026, with the FIA confirming last week that the plans to make drastic engine and aerodynamic transformations will go ahead as planned.

Following the announcement of those 2026 changes, FIA director Nikolas Tombazis reflected on the last time the sport underwent transformation.

"We believe we have had some deterioration of racing as of late," Tombazis explained to media at the Canadian Grand Prix.

FIA director Nikolas Tombazis during a race weekend

"The aims of 2022 of having close racing have deteriorated and cars can't follow each other as closely as we would have liked.

"We are planning to fix that."

Red Bull have so far dominated the modern 'ground effect' era of F1, with Max Verstappen winning consecutive world championships in 2022 and 2023, with the team also scooping both constructors' titles along the way.

In 2023 in particular, Verstappen and Red Bull really showed their class, with the Dutchman winning 19 races out of 22, and team-mate Sergio Perez also picking up two victories.

This meant that Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a grand prix last season after he took victory in Singapore.