Despite the F1 technical regulations mostly being stable for 2025, a few rule changes will come into effect at lights out in Melbourne.
Point for fastest lap scrapped
This additional point was initially reintroduced to F1 in 2019, with the aim of creating intrigue and excitement during the race.
Any driver in the points was eligible to receive this “accolade”, giving those in the lower fringes of a top ten a chance to increase their points tally.
It was primarily designed to force championship contenders to navigate another element of a race and campaign. However, its intent became lost.
Instead, drivers with a comfortable buffer over a rival pitted in the closing stages, fitted the softest tyre compound available, and claimed their prize.
While the catalyst for removing the point for the fastest lap will never be concretely established, one event is rumoured to have caused it.
Daniel Ricciardo’s swansong in Singapore included claiming the fastest lap, taking a point away from Lando Norris. With Ricciardo driving for Red Bull’s sister team, this benefitted Max Verstappen, and the FIA decided to intervene.
This marks the second time the fastest lap point has been removed from F1. It was initially used in 1950 before being removed in 1959.
Introduction of driver cooling aids
The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix marked a turning point for F1 regarding air and cockpit temperature limits. Cockpit temperatures peaked at over 50C (122F), causing extreme discomfort, including vomiting.
Logan Sargeant failed to finish the race, having almost to be lifted out of his car due to heat exposure. Other drivers confessed to nearly passing out.
This necessitated the FIA launching an investigation into how to keep drivers cool during a race. Based on the findings, a revolutionary new system will debut this year.
Should the air temperature rise above 31C, the FIA will declare a “Heat Hazard” incident. All teams will then activate specific protocols.
Drivers will be required to wear fireproof vests fitted with cooling tubes that will distribute liquid. A thermal store to generate the cooling is permitted on the car.
This will increase the cars’ weight, and additional weight will be permitted. 2 kilograms will be allowed for practice, Qualifying, and Sprint Qualifying sessions. A further 5kg will be added for the Grand Prix.
Restrictions to drivers testing older cars
Testing older cars is now the main method for younger drivers to get up to speed in F1. Cars from two years ago and older can be used for filming days as part of the Testing of Previous Car (TPC) regulations.
For this season, new regulations mandate that race drivers can only drive in four of the 20 allocated days of TPC.
The distance race drivers can cover has also been limited in these four days. No race driver can exceed 1000km.
This regulation will impact Lewis Hamilton as he attempts to acclimatise to Ferrari. He is testing Ferrari’s SF-23 from 2023 and will now see his limited testing shortened further.
Rookies in practice
Drivers on the cusp of F1 signed to F1 team academies dream of their F1 debut. More often than not, this comes during a free practice session. Any driver with less than two races in the sport on their CV qualifies for the outing.
Teams must field a rookie in each of their cars once in previous seasons. This is valuable if limited time in which to evaluate drivers.
For 2025, this has been increased to twice per car per season. Now, teams must allocate four sessions a year to run rookies. This will hopefully result in more rookies taking to free practice.
DRS design and flexi wing clampdown
McLaren caused a storm in the F1 paddock last season with its “mini DRS” trick. The ingenious design flexed the tip of the end of the rear wing flaps to enough punch a hole in the air. This created a small DRS effect on the wing, even in non-DRS zones.
McLaren ran the design in Baku, where it helped Oscar Piastri win over Charles Leclerc. However, the team retired the device after consultation with the FIA.
Separately, Red Bull and Ferrari lobbied the FIA over concerns regarding McLaren and Mercedes running extreme flexi wings. This led to the FIA planting cameras on the cars to monitor flexing.
After its investigation, the governing body determined that all wings complied with the regulations, so it did not feel the need to intervene.
However, the FIA announced a clampdown last week, including an increase in the front and rear wing deflection test conducted in scrutineering. A load of 10 newtons to 30 newtons will now be applied, giving the teams far less wriggle room to create flexing.
From Barcelona onwards, a new technical directive will reduce the slot gap on the rear wing to prevent an innovation similar to McLaren’s.
This could impact Red Bull and Ferrari, as they had begun to develop their own flexi-wing solutions. But all teams will now have to create new wings from Spain onwards.
Qualifying session results – a new last resort option
The chaotic run-up to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix exposed an unusual yet critical gap in F1’s vast and complex rulebook. If qualifying is unable to be run due to inclement weather, no precedent exists for setting the race’s grid.
For 2025, the starting grids for Grand Prix and sprint races can, as a last resort, be determined by the driver championship standings. In the highly unlikely case this happens at the season’s first round, the stewards have the final decision.
Should weather curtail a sprint qualifying session, the order is dictated by whether the driver set a lap and left the pits.
End of season test
The FIA has announced a change to the end-of-year young driver test as F1 prepares for the new 2026 technical regulations.
While one car will field a driver with two races or less experience, the second will be a “mule car” adapted to run the new Pirelli rubber for 2026.
The 2026 car is a radical departure from the current regulations. Therefore, the teams can use any car from the previous four seasons and modify it accordingly to run the specifications for Pirelli.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool/ Mark Thompson/Getty Images
