F1 Commission postpones ban on tyre blankets until 2025

40

The F1 Commission opted during a meeting on Friday at Spa to delay a ban on tyre blankets until the 2025 season.

Despite Pirelli's extensive testing this year of blanket-less tyres, the F1 Commission - comprised of Formula 1, the teams and the FIA – said that it was keen on the tyre manufacturer testing its product at a wider range of circuits to better assess its viability.

Although there were no issues to report during Pirelli's recent test of its blanket-less tyres, the prospect of banning tyre warmers has been criticized by several drivers who fear that powering out on to a track on stone cold rubber will inevitably lead to crashes.

"The results of the testing undertaken so far show that the change can be implemented to the requested target specifications for 2024.

"However it has been decided to postpone the introduction of a tyre blanket ban for dry tyres in 2024 and to continue this discussion and further testing into 2025," read a statement from the FIA.

"Further analysis will continue for other potential future changes to the regulations that can improve the environmental sustainability of the sport."

During Friday's meeting, another important topic of discussion centered on equalizing power units.

Alpine, seeking to narrow the performance gap with its competitors, requested more development freedom for its Renault engine. While there was some understanding for the French manufacturer's plight, a final agreement was not reached.

Consequently, the matter will be brought up again in future discussions by the power unit advisory committee.

Read also: FIA President offers timeline for decision on new F1 entrants

Another subject that was brought to the table involved the extension of the capital expenditure allowance under F1's cost cap rules.

A proposal aims to provide additional investment opportunities for smaller teams like Williams to enhance their factory infrastructure.

However, like the previous topic, no consensus was reached during the meeting. As a result, the matter was referred to the financial advisory committee for further deliberation and examination.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.