I struggle to understand how these budgets work in practice.
Surely the staff costs are fixed and the tools bought & paid for, so that leaves energy & raw materials. Problem is, if your not using the raw materials or the energy to make upgrades, then whats the point of having the staff?
I agree focus has to be on next year, it has to be on improving consistent handling, aero efficiency, & tyre usage & operating window, but if there's learning that can utilised this year, then it should be.
If it were 2025 then i'd say enough was enough and focus on the new regs, but in a period of stability where learning opportunities are the biggest restriction, the end of this year needs to be a test bed for future development where possible