Today's F1 News Delivered Faster Than a Pit Stop
The FIA has officially announced the prohibition of Formula 1 aerodynamic testing for the 2026 season, as outlined in the revised sporting regulations. Teams are barred from conducting wind tunnel or CFD work on the new spec cars until January 1, 2025, aligning with the approach taken prior to the 2022 rules change. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future technical regulations, teams possess a substantial understanding of the anticipated direction. Notably, amendments to the 2023 sporting regulations have been introduced post-World Championship, implementing the 2026 ATR ban from December 1 to 31, with similar adjustments made for the 2024 rules.
Click here to read the full article at motorsport.com
Formula 1, represented by its chief technical officer Pat Symonds, has joined the Hydrogen Working Group, along with the FIA and Extreme H series, to assess the developments and applications of hydrogen technology in motorsport. The group, focused on incorporating hydrogen into fuel cells and battery systems, will also consider infrastructure, transportation, charging, storage, and safety implications. While Symonds emphasizes F1's commitment to exploring all decarbonization avenues, it's noted that F1's current technical focus is on sustainable fuels and hybrid engines, with hydrogen potentially being considered for the longer term. The working group collaboration aims to contribute to the understanding and development of hydrogen propulsion, particularly for Extreme H, which plans to transition from electric to hydrogen power in 2025.
Click here to read the full article by Jack Cozens (the-race.com)
Alex Albon used comparison data from his time alongside Max Verstappen to secure a Formula 1 seat at Williams. Despite struggling with Red Bull in 2020, he presented statistics comparing himself to Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez, Verstappen's other teammates, emphasizing that his performance gap with Verstappen was smaller than theirs. Albon shared this data with team bosses, ultimately earning a spot at Williams and attributing his difficulties to Red Bull's less competitive car in 2020 compared to Perez's successful campaign in the following year.
Click here to read the full article by Taylor Powling (motorsportweek.com)
Fans employed the Socio app to vote for Jessica Hawkins, a member of the Aston Martin F1 Team, to compete against Fernando Alonso in the 'The Racing Order' quiz. In this trivia contest, both drivers had to tackle questions such as ranking drivers by age, identifying Grand Prix venues with the most races, and other similar challenges.
The F1 off-season has started with an early surprise as the FIA looks into allegations against Toto and Susie Wolff. These claims, denied by Mercedes F1 and Formula 1, involve the alleged passing of confidential information from a member of FOM personnel to an F1 team principal. What led to this, and what might happen next?