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.
Formula One has officially rejected the Andretti and General Motors collaborative bid to join the F1 grid in 2025 or 2026. The blow to the Andretti project comes after a long awaited decision regarding the commercial bargaining agreement with the FOM. Andretti Global was the last prospective team to be considered for such a bid. Formula One appears to have kept the door open for a 2028 bid but questions will arise as to whether Formula One could possibly make any different conclusion. The Bid was rejected due to Formula One concluding that the Andretti brand would not bring value to Formula One and that thei car would not be competitive.
While the assessment feels brash its clear that money is an issue and the concerns that were raise with profit sharing with an 11th team continue to linger. Additionally, without any formal test competitiveness cannot truly be assessed. With a power unit in development it is possible that Formula One wants to see a car in action before formally making any concessions. Andretti fans will have to wait 4 more years for a possible entry. Given the status of some of the current teams on the grid could look completely different in 4 years which could sway the FOM committees decision. The statement reads:
Summary and conclusions of commercial assessment process
January 2024
Introduction
1. On 22 March 2023, the FIA published an invitation (the Invitation) to apply to participate in the FIA Formula One World Championship (the Championship), to which four applicants responded, among them Andretti Formula Racing, LLC (the Applicant). The FIA conducted an initial assessment process, which included both a written question and response element and an in-person meeting.
2. The FIA announced on 2 October 2023 that they were satisfied that the application submitted by the Applicant (the Application) fulfilled their selection criteria in all material respects, and that accordingly, the FIA considered that the Applicant should progress to the next stage of the agreed process as set out in the Invitation, being an assessment by the Commercial Rights Holder of the Applicant’s value to the Championship. The process set out in the Invitation provides that both the FIA and the Commercial Rights Holder must consider an application suitable in order for a new entrant to be selected.
3. The FIA had previously shared with us the materials submitted by each of the four applicants in response to the Invitation, which we had studied. Following the FIA’s announcement, we wrote to the Applicant on 10 October 2023, setting out the assessment process, and details of the considerations and decision-making process pursuant to which we would conduct our commercial assessment (the Process Letter). The Process Letter contained a list of questions for the Applicant, to which the Applicant provided responses on 24 October 2023.
4. Having had the opportunity to consider the Applicant’s responses together with our own deliberations, we subsequently wrote to the Applicant on 12 December 2023 extending an invitation to an in-person meeting at our offices in order for the Applicant to present its application, but the Applicant did not take us up on this offer.
5. This document summarises our review process and the key conclusions arising from it.
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – OCTOBER 20: Michael Andretti during the United States GP at Circuit of the Americas on Friday October 20, 2023 in Austin, United States of America. (Photo by Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images)Review process
6. As contemplated by the Process Letter, we took account of the broad range of ways in which value could be provided, including value to fans, the prestige and reputational value of the sport, the competitive balance of the Championship and the sustainability goals of the sport. The key areas of review were:
a. consideration of the likely competitiveness of the Applicant’s entry, and its impact on value;
b. consideration of the Applicant’s arrangements with respect to the supply of Power Units and the impact that those arrangements would have on the Applicant’s competitive performance;
c. research into the potential benefits the Applicant might bring in terms of fan growth, and fan engagement, as well as a review of the equivalent materials prepared by C|T Group on behalf of the Applicant;
d. consultation with key stakeholders to understand their view of the value that the Applicant would bring;
e. consideration of the operational impact on our existing circuits of adding an 11th team;
f. consideration of the likely impact of the Applicant’s entry on the Commercial Rights Holder’s financial results as an indicator of value; and
g. consideration of the Applicant’s financial sustainability based on the materials provided.
7. Our assessment did not involve any consultation with the current F1 teams. However, in considering the best interests of the Championship we took account of the impact of the entry of an 11th team on all commercial stakeholders in the Championship.
General
8. Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, in and of itself, provide value to the Championship.
9. Any 11th team should show that its participation and involvement would bring a benefit to the Championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive, in particular by competing for podiums and race wins. This would materially increase fan engagement and would also increase the value of the Championship in the eyes of key stakeholders and sources of revenue such as broadcasters and race promoters.
10. The Application contemplates an association with General Motors (GM) that does not initially include a PU supply, with an ambition for a full partnership with GM as a PU supplier in due course, but this will not be the case for some years. Having a GM PU supply attached to the Application at the outset would have enhanced its credibility, though a novice constructor in partnership with a new entrant PU supplier would also have a significant challenge to overcome. Most of the attempts to establish a new constructor in the last several decades have not been successful.
11. 2025 will be the last year of the current regulatory cycle and 2026 will be the first year of the subsequent cycle, for which an entirely different car to the previous cycle will be required. The Applicant proposes, as a novice constructor, to design and build a car under the 2025 regulations, and then in the very next year to design and build a completely different car under the 2026 regulations. Further, the Applicant proposes to attempt this with a dependency on a compulsory supply from a rival PU manufacturer that will inevitably be reticent to extend its collaboration with the Applicant beyond the minimum required while the Applicant pursues its ambition of collaborating with GM as a PU supplier in the longer term, which a compulsory PU supplier would see as a risk to its intellectual property and know-how.
12. We do not believe that there is a basis for any new applicant to be admitted in 2025 given that this would involve a novice entrant building two completely different cars in its first two years of existence. The fact that the Applicant proposes to do so gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope of the challenge involved. While a 2026 entry would not face this specific issue it is nevertheless the case that Formula 1, as the pinnacle of world motorsport, represents a unique technical challenge to constructors of a nature that the Applicant has not faced in any other formula or discipline in which it has previously competed, and it proposes to do so with a dependency on a compulsory PU supply in the initial years of its participation. On this basis, we do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.
13. Coming to the sport as a new PU manufacturer is also a huge challenge, with which major automotive manufacturers have struggled in the past, and one which can take a manufacturer a number of years of significant investment in order to become competitive. GM have the resource and credibility to be more than capable of attempting this challenge, but success is not assured.
Conclusions of commercial assessment
14. Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.
15. The need for any new team to take a compulsory power unit supply, potentially over a period of several seasons, would be damaging to the prestige and standing of the Championship.
16. While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.
17. The addition of an 11th team would place an operational burden on race promoters, would subject some of them to significant costs, and would reduce the technical, operational and commercial spaces of the other competitors.
18. We were not able to identify any material expected positive effect on CRH financial results, as a key indicator of the pure commercial value of the Championship.
19. On the basis of the application as it stands, we do not believe that the Applicant has shown that it would add value to the Championship. We conclude that the Applicant’s application to participate in the Championship should not be successful.
20. We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 Championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house. In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the Applicant would bring to the Championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM to the sport as a PU supplier.
Alan Permane has officially been announced as the Racing Director of the rebranded Alpha Tauri side now known as Visa Cash App RB. Permane will work in conjunction with new Team principal Laurent Mekies to alleviate the issues at the Red Bull sister team that finished 8th in the constructors championship in 2023. Permane brings with him a plethora of experience as one of the longest standing veterans of Formula 1.
“After a few months of downtime, it’s great to return to racing again with the Visa Cash App RB team. From long experience, I know how professional, driven and competitive the people within this race team are and I can’t wait to see where that spirit can take the team in the future,” said Permane. Permane with a number of other new leaders kick off 2024 with a new face, a new name and a new attitude for 2024. The team released a mini documentary on Youtube that can be seen here.
The 2024 car reveal is scheduled for February 8th. The Official Press Release can be found below:
Visa Cash App RB
With more than 350 race starts and counting, Red Bull’s Italian Formula 1 team has been one of the sport’s most consistent and important competitors since 2006. Launched as Scuderia Toro Rosso and charged with bringing future champions to the grid, the team was successful in launching the top level careers of a generation of drivers who have gone on to win races and world championships in Formula 1 and beyond. The success continued following the teams’ 2020 rebrand as Scuderia AlphaTauri, with victory at the Italian Grand Prix in its first season. Now reborn with an expanded mission to battle for the sport’s biggest prizes, Visa Cash App RB team is powering into a new era of competition at the pinnacle of motor sport.
Are you having Formula One withdrawals yet? It has been 60 days since we last saw live Formula One action. Today Netflix announced that they would be giving us the opportunity to relive the 2023 season. Netflix announce that Formula One: Drive to Survive season 6 will be released on February 23rd, 2024. This release will coincide with the end of pre season testing at Bahrain International Circuit.
James Gay-Rees, Executive Producer of Drive To Survive
Gay-Rees had the following words in an exclusive interview with Formulaone.com. “Genuinely, we are enormously proud to be a part of it [referring to the Drive to Survive series],” he said. “There’s also a lot of satisfaction at being first with these things, and I think that it kind of does feel like the first main access show – certainly out of the UK anyway – that has had this profound effect.
We’ve all had the statistics about the changing, younger demographic, and it’s tough out there for anybody, for any big organization, to hold its ground given the amount of choices that are out there for the consumer.
Bringing such a big new audience to a sport – which obviously was deserved, it just needed somebody to open it up – is massively satisfying.
The fact that it wasn’t a fluke, the fact that it’s grown [with every season]… It’s a real honor and we love it. It’s a very difficult show to make, but we love the process, we love the world. Long may it continue!”
Today Formula One announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will not longer be held at the seasoned Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona after 2025. Instead it will be held in Madrid from 2026 to 2035 following an agreement with IFEMA MADRID to bring an all-new circuit to the Spanish capital, incorporating both street and non-street sections. The circuit will include 20 corners and is expected to host 110,000 fans per day with the potential to expand to 140,000.
“Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain”.
“I would like to thank the team at IFEMA MADRID, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s Mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal. It truly epitomizes Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA Stated
“Modern Formula 1 cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect.
“As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organizers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability in their plans for the event.
“As is customary, the proposed circuit will be subject to FIA homologation and safety checks and calendar approval by the World Motor Sport Council.”
“It is with great satisfaction that we announce Formula 1 is coming to the Community of Madrid, to a region and a capital that inspires openness and confidence within and beyond our borders. We are the main engine of Spain’s prosperity and progress.
“This event, which we expect to be followed on a global scale by 70 million people, will represent an increase of more than 450 million euros in Madrid’s GDP per year and the creation of 8,200 jobs.
“The Community of Madrid is a region with a great international projection, open, plural, and competitive, and F1 will contribute to further consolidate the Madrid brand among the best in the world.”
After an abrupt exit from Alpine in 2023, ex-Alpine team principal Alan Permane is rumored to be making a return to F1. Permane is a multi decade veteran in the sport. Given the latest rumor, it appears Permane could be headed for Alpha Tauri. While no official statement has been made, the speculation is in the air for where Permane may end up. Alpha Tauri is widely known to be the junior team of Red Bull Racing. Coincidentally, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has previously praised Permane after his departure from Alpine was announced.
“Alan Permane is one of the rocks of F1. He is one of the longest-standing senior engineers in the sport and certainly someone with a lot of knowledge. I don’t know about the ins and outs of the management reshuffle there, but there is a lot of very respectable people in there. And definitely, you shouldn’t discount anyone of that seniority.”
“Whilst I’ve never worked with Alan Permane, I think sometimes there has to be respect shown for somebody that’s put in 34 years of hard graft and been involved in world championships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso…He has also been a steady hand during periods of that team going into administration, and out of administration, and into different ownership and so on.
“He’s very much been a constant there during that period. I think that earns respect and recognition, and I’m sure he’s a guy, like with Otmar, that won’t find themselves out of work. It won’t be the last you’ve seen of them in the pitlane, no doubt about that.”
Whether this comment was foreshadowing is not yet confirmed. However, given the status of Alpha Tauri and the team currently in a state of transition. It would make perfect sense for someone with his experience to step into a role as a leader. With Alpha Tauri planning a rebrand in 2024 it would be the perfect time for the team to usher in new leadership. Time will tell if the rumors will be confirmed.
Earlier this week Haas made a shocking revelation that fan beloved team principal Guenther Steiner would be immediately replaced as team Principal at Haas. Now that the dust has settled both team owner Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner have made public comments on the matter.
Guenther Steiner Responded to being Blindsided by the Move
“I didn’t have the chance to say thank you to a few people when I left Haas F1. I would just like to thank all the team members which I couldn’t give a proper goodbye to when I left…I want to say also thank you to all the fans who supported Haas while I was there – it’s fantastic. It’s one of those occasions, with so many people here. Thanks for coming as well, [for me] to say thank you to everybody for the support I got and I’m getting.
“It stung [not being able to say goodbye to the team], but they all know me and that I still appreciate what they did. It would be nice to say, ‘Hey guys, thanks for all that you did’, because the team started very small, running on adrenaline a lot of times, and they did a good job. Obviously it doesn’t make you happy not saying thank you, but I think I did it now.”
Steiner Continued Regarding the Phone Call That Ended His Role
“Gene called me and said that he doesn’t want to extend the contract which was up at the end of the season, and that was it. I don’t know [if it was a surprise]. It’s always a little bit of a surprise, but then in the end, he owns the team, he can do what he wants and it’s his decision.
I think [whether a change was needed] can be answered only in time. I cannot answer that one because otherwise I could say what is happening in the future. Gene thought that is the way he wants to take the team forward and, as I said, it’s his decision, not my one. He owns the place, so if you own something you’ve got the right to do what you want.”
“It came down to performance,” Gene Haas tells me when we spoke exclusively via a video call. “Here we are in our eighth year, over 160 races – we have never had a podium. The last couple of years, we’ve been 10th or ninth.
I’m not sitting here saying it’s Guenther’s fault, or anything like that, but it just seems like this was an appropriate time to make a change and try a different direction, because it doesn’t seem like continuing with what we had is really going to work.”
Gene Haas, Owner and Founder, Haas F1, and Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 during the Formula One United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas Texas, USA. (Photo by Andy Hone / Motorsport Images)Funding Could Become an Issue if Haas Can’t Find Results
After finishing at the bottom of the championship table the Haas camp is regrouping for 2024. Haas has the smallest budget of all F1 teams but Gene Haas claims that is not the source of their shortcomings. He stated, “I just think we don’t do a very good job of spending that money. A lot of teams have had previous investments in their infrastructure, buildings, equipment and personnel. Our model was to outsource a lot of that. We spend a lot of money. We haven’t exceeded the cap but we’re pretty darn close to it. I just don’t think we’re doing a very good job of spending it in the most effective way.”
It appears that Haas has a spending problem and a funding problem which is not a positive space for a team looking to stay in F1. Gene Haas personally bankrolls a portion of the operating costs for the team which could explain the rapid decision regarding Steiner. Nonetheless it’s clear that Haas is undergoing some personnel and possibly team culture. Whether removing Steiner will be a positive move is yet to be determined. However, it’s clear the timing of the whole debacle puts Haas at a disadvantage as their competitors have already move forward on 2024 development with more unified fronts.
The first earth shattering news of 2024 hit the F1 airways today when Haas F1 team announced that team principal Guenther Steiner will be leaving Haas F1 team. The decision appears to be effective immediately leaving some fans in heartbreak. Director of Engineering Ayao Komatsu will step up to replace Steiner for the 2024 campaign.
Steiner has lead the Haas F1 team since 2016. The team has face many woes over the years. Generally Haas has never bee a championship contender but the team has found a presence as a mid pack contender over the years. However, in 2023 the tea finished dead last which raised questions as to whether Steiner was still the man for the job. Haas wasted no time with his replacement. We assume this was a mutually beneficial move for the parties involved.
Words from Gene Haas, Haas Team owner
Owner Gene Haas said: “I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future.
“Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management.
We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization. We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team.
I’m looking forward to working with Ayao and fundamentally ensuring that we maximize our potential – this truly reflects my desire to compete properly in Formula 1.”
“I’m naturally very excited to have the opportunity to be Team Principal at Haas. Having been with the team since its track-debut back in 2016 I’m obviously passionately invested in its success in Formula 1. I’m looking forward to leading our program and the various competitive operations internally to ensure we can build a structure that produces improved on-track performances.
We are a results-based business at the end of the day, and we obviously haven’t been competitive enough recently which has been a source of frustration…We have amazing support from Gene and our various partners – particularly MoneyGram, and we want to mirror their enthusiasm with an improved on-track product. We have a great team of people across Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello and together I know we can reach the kind of performances we’re capable of.”
In November it was announced that Carlos Sainz trainer Rupert Manwaring would be leaving Sainz to train Max Verstappen. Verstappen lost his fitness coach at the end of the 2023 season. The time for that transition is now upon us. Carlos was in shock at the news when he was originally informed, but offered the following heart felt words on a recent post,
“Eight years can’t be summed up in one video but here is a little taste of what it has meant. 2023 has been [Rupert Manwaring’s] last season as part of Team 55 and I wouldn’t know how to thank you for all your work, dedication and support during these years.
“Not only have we trained, we have fought together for the same goals and we have had lots of fun along the way! I wish you all the best Ruperto!”
Manwaring will head to Red Bull to work with reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. The move has a bit of a story as Manwaring’s father was a trainer for Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen. The opportunity for the father and son trainers to work with a father and son pair of drivers is unique. Possibly unique enough to never happen again. Its clear that legacy played a role in the move. We will see if Verstappen is able to build a synergy with Manwaring for the 2024 season. Verstappen’s fitness will be paramount if he is to go for the 4 peat in 2024.
Sainz has not yet named a replacement trainer. We will report back when that information is available.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has signed a 3 year contract extension with Red Bull. The announcement comes after Red Bull announced their new CEO who stepped in to replace the now deceased Dietrich Mateschitz. While many speculated that team principal Christian Horner or Helmut Marko might be gunning for the mantle. Its now clear that those rumor can be put to rest and that Horner and Helmut are look forward to 2024 to maintain the dominance Red Bull has achieved in recent years.
Credited with the discovery of Max Verstappen, Marko has been praise in the Red Bull camp for Verstappen’s recent success having won 3 straight F1 titles. With Helmut solidified in the Red Bull camp for 3 more years, and no other major personnel changes pending. Its hard to imagine the synergy that Red Bull has built dwindling in any capacity. The team has prided itself on winning and attributes those wins to continued consistency and open communication. If its not broken do fix it is the saying. As Re d Bull heads into the 2024 season the pressure will be on to perform.
What does Marko’s Extension mean for Red Bull?
Marko’s contract extension means that Red Bull can continue to maintain their well oiled machine and make a run for the F1 championship in 2024. Additionally, its no secret that Max Verstappen holds Marko in very high esteems. The relationship between the two would suggest that if one left the team the other would follow.
One man who will have his work cut out for him is Max Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. Marko has vocally been against Perez being resigned at the end of 2024. This is despite the Red Bull 1-2 finish in the constructors championship during the 2023. Whether this opinion will change over the off season is yet to be determined. Marko’s focus seems to be on the future of Red Bull and with an aging Perez the ideology behind such a decision makes sense long term. However, it’s clear that Marko’s eye for young talent is not something to be ignored. His latest driver of interest appears to be Lando Norris who has had an up and down season with McLaren. Time will tell if Marko will make a move to recruit Norris to Red Bull or if he has his sights set on another driver come the end of 2024.