Following the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Formula One’s governing physique, the FIA have confirmed tweaks to the Sporting, Technical and Financial Regulation for the approaching F1 season. F1Technical’s senior Balázs Szabó author analyses the changes that await the F1 groups in 2024.
This week, the final 2023 FIA’s World Motor Sport Council assembly happened in Baku the place a number of guidelines of the Sporting, Financial and Technical Regulations have been tweaked.
Drivers encountered excessive sizzling circumstances at this yr’s Qatar Grand Prix, the place a number of drivers wanted medical care following the race. Williams driver Logan Sargeant tolerated the circumstances the worst, because the Miami-born racer was compelled to retire from the race attributable to heatstroke.
As a results of these excessive circumstances, the governing physique introduced immediately after the Qatar spherical that measurements can be taken so as to keep away from a equally exhausting and harmful race.
The Paris-based governing physique famous that the Losail race „had an affect on the wellbeing of the drivers. While being elite athletes, they shouldn’t be anticipated to compete underneath circumstances that would jeopardise their well being or security.
„The secure operation of the vehicles is, always, the accountability of the Competitors, nonetheless as with different issues referring to security resembling circuit infrastructure and automotive security necessities, the FIA will take all affordable measures to determine and talk acceptable parameters wherein Competitions are held.”
The FIA has now confirmed that groups could now additionally add an extra scoop atop the chassis from subsequent season in a bid to enhance cooling to the cockpit.
Moreover, the governing physique will restrict the quantity and mass of sure metallic parts within the floor which were recognized as a security danger ought to they develop into dislodged from a automotive. From subsequent yr, parts and inserts will probably be not permitted within the outer boundaries of the floor physique, the sting wing and the fences. However, the usage of brackets or fasteners between the floor and edge wing and any metallic parts used for put on safety will stay permitted in 2024.
The first driver to cross 1,000 laps led in a season 🤯#F1 @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/mh9s95Vdvf
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 5, 2023
Schedule tweak
The sport tweaked the pre-race schedule forward of the Miami Grand Prix, pushing the ten-minute interval when vehicles full their set up lap and take their place on the beginning grid ten minutes ahead. The purpose was to accommodate a pre-race present earlier than the race.
The FIA famous again then that the change was launched to permit extra time for “the pre-race grid actions, which might be used for the presentation of the drivers to the followers”. The new pre-race ceremony happened forward of the Miami Grand Prix, however drivers rapidly expressed their opinion of the ceremony that triggered disruption to their ultimate preparation for the race.
As a results of it, the pre-race present was not staged after the Miami Grand Prix, and the FIA has now confirmed “the reduction of the time spent on the grid prior to a Grand Prix from 50 back to 40 minutes as it had been prior to the trial of pre-race driver presentation elements.”
The FIA has famous that there at the moment aren’t any laws in place to explain the process surrounding personnel and gear associated to vehicles ranging from Pit Lane. For security causes, it should now be necessary to take away all personnel and gear from the quick lane 90 seconds after the beginning of formation lap.
The Hungarian Grand Prix noticed the introduction of the Alternative Tyre Allocation. Under the brand new guidelines drivers solely obtained a complete of 11 units of slick tyres as an alternative of the same old 13 units. This meant simply three units of Hard tyre, 4 units of Medium, and 4 units of the Soft tyre. Moreover, drivers had been restricted to the Hard in Q1, the Medium in Q2 and the Soft in Q3. The tweaked tyre allocation made a second look on the Italian Grand Prix.
However, it has now emerged that the Alternative Tyre Allocation has been scrapped for subsequent yr.
