The F1 Commission met this Tuesday in London to discuss issues of great importance for the present and future of the category. In it they gave their points of view, with their representatives, the FIA , the FOM (owner of F1, with Liberty Media as owner) and the teams . Each of the three parties had 10 points in the voting, and a total of 25 had to be obtained for the proposals that were put on the table.
The most important was to increase the number of sprint races by 2023, and the FIA has so far refused, considering that, as the highest body in motorsport, it should receive a greater financial contribution.
But there was much more. If the sprint races did not have that absolute support, the F1 Commission did unanimously approve an update to the 2023 Technical Regulations where the use of cameras in helmets will be mandatory and tire delivery will be reduced during a competition weekend. from 13 that there are now to only 11.
He also talked about the 2026 engine rules, and it came up as one of the initial problems that if the power is reduced, as had been said, it cannot lead to the F1 cars being too slow.
The hybrid turbo generation of F1, the era that premiered in 2016, has left the most powerful single-seaters in F1 history, but by 2026, when among other things the MGU-H will disappear, it may mean a step back in power and , it is feared, on show.
One of the big ‘buts’ that the fans and drivers put on the 2022 F1 cars (and earlier) is that they weigh a lot and generate a lot of drag, so if they are also depowered, they can become too slow on the straight .
The FIA wants the teams to look for the best way to guarantee that the single-seaters do not lose spectacularity, and has created a list of proposals so that, together with the changes in the engines, they keep Formula 1 at the top of what sparkly.
The FIA wants more even battles between cars, and for this it establishes the following for F1:
- That cars can follow each other without losing performance
- Make F1 cars smaller and lighter
- Increase the number of standard or sustainable parts in F1
- Continue security innovation and move towards active and connected security systems
An economic issue was also discussed at the meeting: the increase in costs and the inflation that affects the teams in a Formula 1 with a spending limit. It will be up to F1’s Financial Working Group to study how to combat the current situation, and come up with a proposal that can help alleviate any problems in the short and long term.
Lastly, the F1 teams also discussed possible additions to the 2022 calendar, but no final decision has yet been made on which event will replace the Russian Grand Prix canceled after the Ukraine invasion… or if there will be a replacement.
‘Brides’ are not lacking. Portimao was the first to offer, and Qatar is another of the candidates to obtain the position, but there is concern about the excess heat that it can do at that time and also precisely Qatar signed a 10-year contract with F1 skipping 2022 to focus this year to celebrate the World Cup. So, as you may have already read on Motorsport.com, one idea that is gaining ground is for Singapore to host two back-to-back races, which would be quite logical both financially and logistically.
