What changes are in store for the 2025 F1 season?
Several changes in sporting and technical regulations are to be noted for the 2025 season. Teams will also have their sights set on the new regulations for 2026.
The 2025 Formula 1 season will mark the last year of the current ground-effect car regulations. Despite the major changes expected in 2026 concerning chassis and engines, significant adjustments will be made to the Sporting and Technical Regulations as early as 2025. Here is an overview of the main points to remember.
The Sporting Regulations
Starting in 2025, the point awarded to the driver achieving the fastest lap in the race within the top 10 will no longer be in effect, ending a rule established in 2019.
The requirement to field a young driver during free practice sessions will increase from once to twice per season per car, which will allow young drivers to have more time to get accustomed to the car and adapt to the driving style of an F1.
The sporting regulations will reinforce restrictions regarding the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) rule. The TPC will be limited to twenty days, and drivers participating in the championship will be allowed to cover a maximum of 1000 kilometers over four days of testing. The tests will only be permitted on circuits that are on the current or previous year’s calendar, except those hosting a race within the next 60 days or those that have undergone major modifications.
In case of cancellation of the qualifying sessions for Sprints or Grand Prix, the starting grid will now be established based on the drivers’ championship standings. Previously, the order of the starting grid was entirely left to the discretion of the stewards when qualifying sessions could not take place. If the drivers’ championship standings cannot be used as a criterion, determining the grid order will remain at the discretion of the stewards.
The starting grid formation protocol has been adjusted following the events that occurred before the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix, when some cars withdrew before the start. Now, the final grid will be established one hour before the race start. Cars declared withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start will be excluded from the final grid, allowing other cars to move up into the corresponding positions.
The Technical Regulation
The minimum allowed weight for a driver will increase from 80 kg to 82 kg. And the overall minimum weight limit for the car without fuel will rise from 798 kilograms to 800 kilograms.
In 2025, a cooling kit for drivers will be introduced. This system, designed to prevent overheating episodes among drivers like those observed during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, will be mandatory only in conditions of extreme heat, with a corresponding increase in the minimum weight of the cars.
When a temperature above 30.5°C is forecast, the FIA will declare a heat risk. Teams will then be required to equip their drivers with this cooling system, and the minimum weight of the cars will be increased by 5 kilograms to compensate for the addition of this equipment.
The gaps between the two positions of the rear wing in DRS mode will be adjusted. The minimum offset will be reduced, from 10-15 millimeters to 9.4-13 millimeters, while the maximum limit will remain fixed at 85 millimeters when the DRS is activated.
Furthermore, the FIA will strengthen the rules concerning DRS modes. It will stipulate that there can only be two positions and will require that, once the DRS is deactivated, the rear wing returns precisely to its initial position, as defined.
Bet on 2026 at the expense of 2025?
The main goal of Formula 1 teams will be to maximize the performance of their car in 2025 while preparing for the regulation change set for 2026.
The best teams, if they manage to successfully handle their transition while capitalizing on their performance level at the end of the 2024 season, will be able to quickly focus on 2026. However, one element could disrupt this strategy: a tight battle for the championship in 2025.
We had an example of this in 2008, where McLaren and Ferrari battled until the end for the title. This battle forced them to focus their resources on the current season, to the detriment of preparing for the 2009 regulations. This allowed Brawn GP and Red Bull, less engaged in the fight at the top, to achieve an effective transition and dominate the following year. For teams positioned in the middle or back of the grid, like Honda (future Brawn GP) and Red Bull in 2008, this type of upheaval represents a unique opportunity.
These teams can afford to sacrifice a season to fully invest in the new regulations. We know that Sauber plans to adopt this approach with a view to Audi’s debut in 2026.
