Formula 1 is a sport that keeps evolving over time. As the cars keep changing for the purpose of safety, so does the sporting regulations. On the 18th of February, the FIA and FOM met during the Commission meeting to discuss the new sporting regulations for the 2025 F1 season.
Sporting regulations do not include the technical regulations of the car itself, instead, it is more about the rules of engagements, race formats, pit stop rules, etc. After the Commission meeting, the FIA revealed some of the key changes we can expect in the Sporting Regulations for the 2025 F1 season.
FIA reveals changes in the 2025 F1 Sporting Regulations
Stringent Wing Deflector tests
Last year, we saw some issues regarding the flexibility of the front and rear wings from some of the teams. One of the most notable ones was that of McLaren during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
So this year, the FIA will conduct more stringent rear wing deflector tests from the start of the season. They will also be conducting stringent front wing deflector tests from the Spanish Grand Prix.
Improved driver cooling
Driver cooling issues have been a topic of conversation for the last couple of years now. Given that F1 races all around the world, the drivers face various kinds of weather conditions. In countries such as Qatar and Singapore, we have seen the drivers struggle a lot with cooling. We even saw Logan Sargeant retire from the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix as the heat in the cockpit was too extreme.
The first meeting of the @F1 Commission in 2025 took place today, February 18, at the Formula One Management offices in London. The meeting was chaired by FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis and Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.https://t.co/m7XGh8vP4k
— FIA (@fia) February 18, 2025
To fix this issue, the FIA will be working with the F1 teams to find a practical solution to this problem. These solutions could include improving airflow in the cockpit, mandatory hydration systems for the drivers and more.
Removal of limitations in gearboxes
One of the biggest changes for the 2025 season is the removal of the limitation on the number of gearboxes that can be used by a car. Until 2024, the FIA placed limitations on the utilization of gearboxes throughout the season. For the 2025 season, there will be no limit.
One of the reasons for this is that “the reliability of current designs renders this restriction obsolete,”. This basically means that the limitations that were placed were outdated. In the last few seasons, we have seen several drivers take multiple penalties for taking on additional gearboxes. So the FIA will most likely utilize this season to understand the usage of gearboxes for an F1 car over the course of the season. Following this, they will probably bring back a revised limit from 2026.
Revised race start procedures
During the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix, we saw a lot of confusion with the race start procedures after Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin during the formation lap. There were several penalties given to some of the drivers during this instance. This confused a lot of fans, drivers and teams.
So heading into the 2025 season, the FIA will be making some changes to the race start procedures for both the Grand Prix and Spring Race. Going forward, they would not want any more confusion.
FIA to introduce multiple mandatory pitstops at Monaco GP
Apart from the Sporting Regulations mentioned above, there is one more major discussion that is still ongoing between the FIA, FOM, and the Sporting Advisory Committee. The FIA and FOM have finalized that they want to increase the number of mandatory pitstops for the Monaco GP.
in the last decade, Formula 1 cars have grown considerably in size and are now too big to race in the streets of Monaco. Back during the 2000s, the cars were much smaller in size so overtaking was a bit more easier in Moncao than it is today. This has led to a predictable and boring race on the streets of Monte Carlo.
🚨 | The Monaco Grand Prix could see an increased amount of mandatory pit stops this year!
Last year’s Monaco GP saw most pit stops being completed under a red flag!
The FIA commission will be discussing potential changes over the coming weeks.
[📰 & 📸@Motorsport ] pic.twitter.com/65hkHvl6tU
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 18, 2025
To fix this, the FIA and FOM have decided to increase the number of mandatory pit stops. Right now, the teams pit only once during the race as track position is all that matters in Monaco. However, with multiple pit stops, we could see some differences in strategies in order to try and get the upper hand during the race.
The FIA and FOM will further discuss this with the Sporting Advisory Committee, after which the details of the revised regulations will be released.
