FIA confirms ban on 2026 aerodynamic testing

Formula One’s governing physique, the FIA has formally confirmed that groups have been banned from finishing up aerodynamic and CFD testing on their 2026 F1 vehicles till 1 January 2025.

Formula One will introduce a complete new regulation set for 2026, with sweeping chassis modifications to return alongside new energy unit rules. F1 Commission held a gathering forward of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the place they agreed to a ban of aerodynamic testing on the groups’ 2026 vehicles to be able to forestall outfits from abandoning the event of their 2024 and 2025 F1 vehicles and focus fully on the utterly new 2026 machineries.

This week, the final 2023 FIA’s World Motor Sport Council assembly came about in Baku the place the rule has been confirmed and registered within the Sporting Regulations. The revised rule implies that groups might be prohibited from performing any wind tunnel or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) evaluation on the ’26 autos till January 1, 2025.

The up to date sporting rules for the 2024 F1 season now state: “In order to forestall testing which goals to develop for the 2026 season, from 1/12/2023 till 1/1/2025 inclusive, RWTT [restricted wind tunnel testing] might solely be carried out utilizing a scale mannequin that considerably complies with the 2023, 2024 or 2025 F1 technical rules.

“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.”