17/10/2024
NEWS STORY
Five years after it was introduced, F1 is to scrap the awarding of a point to the driver who posts the fastest lap of the race.
The move comes weeks after Daniel Ricciardo - in his final outing for RB - posted the fastest lap in Singapore, thereby depriving McLaren's Lando Norris who is battling Max Verstappen for the title in the Faenza-based outfit's sister team.
Finishing outside the leading ten finishers Ricciardo didn't receive the point for the fastest lap, the whole point being - if you'll forgive the pun - that neither did Norris.
The decision, which comes into effect next season, having first been introduced five years ago, was one of several "minor" changes to the 2024 and 2025 Sporting and Technical regulations approved by the World Council today. In addition, it was decided to increase the requirement for fielding a young driver during free practice from once per season to two times per season.
A significant update for the 2026 regulations was presented, including a reorganisation of the way the regulations are laid out, which will be divided into thematic sections for clarity and consistency. The transition to the new structure will be concluded in the next few months.
The 2026 Technical Regulations (Section C), originally approved in June 2024, were subject to extensive enhancements to the aerodynamic regulations, which have been the subject of a strong collaboration between the FIA, FOM and the teams. This will see a higher performance from the cars, while maintaining management of the wake characteristics to promote close and exciting racing.
The 2026 Sporting Regulations (Section B) have undergone a significant update in order to simplify and modernise their structure. They have introduced measures to regulate the energy management of the power units as well as the management of the adjustable aerodynamics, which will involve the deployment of the "straight-line mode" (low drag) and the "cornering mode" (high downforce).
In addition, there will be three pre-season tests of three days each for the 2026 season to account for the new power units that will be adopted.
The 2026 Financial Regulations (Section D) have built on the experience gained by the FIA, Formula 1 and the teams since their first introduction in 2021.
Significant effort has been made to simplify the regulations by changes in the perimeter of exclusions and adjustment methodologies and to strengthen measures available to FIA to monitor compliance to the Financial Regulations. The overall level of the cost cap has remained - in effect - equivalent to the current levels, while the changes to the actual number reflect the changes to exclusion and adjustment perimeter and the effect of cumulative inflation.
Further elements will be submitted to the World Council for approval in the coming months to complete the regulation package for 2026, while refinements to the already approved sections will continue with the collaboration between the FIA, FOM and the Formula 1 teams.