Today F1 announced there will be 8 major rule changes to the regulations previously set forth in the 2023 guidelines, Here we outline the changes.
No. 1 Review Time Changes
The FIA has introduced a new time table regarding the ability to appeal FIA decisions after a race. previously a 14 day grace period was allowed for protests. However, that period has now been shifted to 96 hours or 4 days. There is potential for an additional 24 hour extension in extreme/special circumstances. Teams will also have to pay a deposit for all appeals. The money will only be returned if the appeal is successful or the FIA judges that “fairness requires” it to do so. The teams must also specify the elements that are significant, relevant and new ahead of any hearing. Previously teams would try to argue points for the first time during a hearing.
No. 2 Increased Fines
Previously, the maximum fine that the stewards could impose under the International Sporting Code was €250,000 (£215,000, $270,000) but that amount has been quadrupled this year to €1million. Its obvious that the teams and driver will have an issue with this regarding the spending cap and the questionable nature of many of the FIA decisions over the course of the season. We will see how this all plays out in 2024.
No. 3 A Reduction in Power Unit Reserve Components.
This year, the teams will only be allowed to use three of each of the following: the internal combustion engine (ICE), motor generator unit – heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit – kinetic (MGU-K), and turbocharger (TC) before they would pick up a grid penalty. The tighter regulations will make navigating potential issues even more difficult because resources will be reduced. With grid penalties looming this decision could potentially make a huge impact on race outcomes.
No. 4 Increase Pre Season Testing Distance
Previously teams were limited to 100 km of pre season testing distance for their cars. That testing distance has been double allowing for more robust preseason testing.
No. 5 Changes to Testing Car Rules
Teams are allowed to run cars that are at least two years old as part of a testing program. It has been clarified that all components must have been used at least once either in an official testing session or race weekend to then be allowed on a previous car. The rule change is designed to prevent teams from testing items during a run that then could make their way onto the current car in development.
No. 6 Increase Capital Expenditure Limit
Cost caps were introduced in 2021 to prevent bigger teams from gaining an advantage purely based on having larger pools of money available to them. The CapEx limit of $45m (£35m, €41m) for the rolling four years has been increased to $65m (£51m, €60m).
No. 7 Increased Standards for Roll Hoop Safety
While the Halo has received the most recent acclaim as a safety feature of the modern F1 car. The Roll Hoop is the primary rolling structure of the car located behind the driver’s head. After Zhou GuanYu’s crash at Silverstone. The FIA decided to increase the allowable force threshold for Roll Hoops to prevent failures in future crashes. The exact specifications for 2024 were not available at the time of this article’s writing.
The end of the 2023 season saw a large number of supporters who favored changes to the Sprint Race format. Hwoever, no official changes have occurred as of yet so this point is still speculation. It is possible we will see another announcement regarding potential changes before the season begins.