(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Formula 1 Commission, consisting of the ten F1 teams, the FIA and Formula 1, decided at its most recent meeting in Geneva on Wednesday to introduce cooling kits for drivers starting from The 2025 season will be used in extreme heat.
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Cooling drivers has been an issue since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix after several drivers suffered symptoms of heat exhaustion. How Autosporta sister platform of Motorsport-Total.comreported back in July, the FIA and all Formula 1 teams have therefore pushed forward research into better ventilation and cooling for drivers under such extreme conditions.
Original proposals envisaged equipping the cars with a simplified air conditioning system – like Autosport learned, the solution, which has not yet been communicated in detail and which the F1 Commission has now agreed on, includes a simplified system that no longer requires air conditioning. The FIA only requires its use if it is required by extreme heat, with the minimum weight of the cars being adjusted accordingly.
After Albon’s absence: New procedure for the starting lineup
The commission also agreed to change the protocol for closing the grid if individual cars do not make it to the start. A problem that recently occurred in Brazil when Williams driver Alex Albon was unable to take part after a crash in qualifying as the team was unable to repair his car due to the tight schedule.
Although Albon’s car was withdrawn well before the race, according to existing starting protocols, the final starting grid had already been determined, leaving his seventh place on the grid unfilled.
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That’s why the FIA now wants to tighten its procedure and set the final starting grid no later than an hour before the start: cars that are withdrawn up to 75 minutes before the start will not be included in the final starting grid, and the following cars can move up without leaving any gaps the starting grid.
Lots on the agenda: finances, technology, gender
During the meeting in Geneva, the commission, chaired by FIA technical chief Nikolas Tombazis and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, also revised elements of the financial regulations for 2025, and approved expanded exemptions from the cost cap for expenses related to sustainability initiatives.
The meeting also discussed the progress that has been made in the technical regulations for 2026 to improve performance levels through more downforce. The FIA expressed confidence that the much-discussed technical regulations for 2026 will be ready in time for approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council after the end of the 2024 season.
The FIA’s sporting regulations have also been revised to introduce gender-neutral language and remove certain male pronouns and other gender-specific expressions. Similar changes were made to the sporting regulations for Formula 2 and Formula 3 at the end of last year.
