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F1 teams set to OPPOSE cost-cutting and more sustainable change

Rhys Thomas Tuesday 18 June 2024 00:00

Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1 teams are set to vote against a proposed change which could have significantly reduced costs and emissions for the 2025 season.

The final season of the current regulations will match 2024 with a record-equalling 24 race weekends.

Efforts have been made to better regionalize sections of the calendar to aid sustainability and travel burdens for team personnel over the past couple years, with Australia, China, and Japan to feature consecutively (though with a week's gap between the latter two) and races in North and South America predominantly scheduled toward the end of the year.

However, notable exceptions - such as staging the Canadian Grand Prix in the middle of the European season (largely due to weather concerns) - mean that there is still progress to be made.

The Canadian Grand Prix continues to take place between European races

The Australian Grand Prix will return as season opener in 2025

What change to the 2025 calendar is to be opposed?

A key alteration to next season's calendar compared to 2024 is that Australia will return as the season opener, with Ramadan being observed throughout March in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (2024's opening two locations).

Since 2021, when Australia was absent from the calendar due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bahrain has been the first race of the season, so it has been logical to carry out pre-season testing there in the lead-up to the race.

Given that it will no longer hold the season opener, it was suggested that testing return to Barcelona, where it took place for many years before the pandemic.

Tobi Grüner explained for AMuS that this could save an estimated €800,000 ($858,000) per team and reduced the carbon footprint due to travel time between Europe (where most teams are based) and Barcelona/Bahrain.

Pre-season testing is set to continue in Bahrain despite calendar changes

“There were some advocates in the paddock for a return to Barcelona," he wrote. "It can still be relatively cool here at the end of February, but supplies of material are delivered quickly and inexpensively via the European overland route. And the track, with its varied layout, is even more representative than Bahrain.

“In addition to lower freight costs, Barcelona also benefited from lower travel costs (flights and hotels) for staff. Experts estimate that a total of €800,000 [$858,000] could have been saved per team.

"€500,000 [$536,000] of this must be factored into the budget cap. The carbon footprint would also certainly have been better for Barcelona than for Bahrain.

Grüner added that only Red Bull, their 'B-team Visa Cash App RB, and Stake F1 Team voted provisionally for the measure, whilst the other teams preferred Bahrain.

"The final vote will take place at the next meeting of the F1 Commission. However, the date has already been set. As this year, the race [test] will last three days - from Wednesday, 26 to Friday, 28 February."

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