Limiting factors

With the introduction of the ‘all-new’ technical regulations now postponed to 2022, Racecar looks at F1’s latest round of interim changes

- GEMMA HATTON

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the financial, sporting and technical regulations for the 2020 season and beyond have seen some significant changes, all with the aim of securing the future of the Formula 1 grid.

The headlines are that the ‘revolutionary’ 2021 technical and sporting regulations, aimed at reducing costs and generating closer racing, will now be delayed until 2022. However, the new financial regulations that specify the details of the budget cap will still come into effect at the start of next year. As a result, this year’s cars will be carried over to the 2021 season, along with some slightly tweaked technical regulations.

For whatever is left of the 2020 season, teams will no longer be able to work on their 2021 (now 2022) chassis, with the FIA banning all wind tunnel and CFD activity on any car geometry that relates to the 2022 technical regulations. All 18in tyre tests have been canceled for this year, and the maximum number of engine, MGU-H, MGU-K, turbocharger, Energy Storage (ES) and Control Electronics (CE) units will change in accordance with how many races actually go ahead in what’s left of the 2020 season.

Aero testing