Formula One approves in-season changes to the sporting and technical rules
The World Motor Sport Council convened today in Paris for the second meeting of 2022 to discuss a number of key matters regarding the FIA-governed racing series.
At the meeting that was hosted by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid, a number of tweaks to F1’s sporting and technical regulations were rubber stamped.
The timing of the official pre-event media activities for Drivers has been updated. This activity will now take place within a two-hour window, 23 hours prior to the scheduled start of Free Practice 1.
The media activities were moved to Friday for 2022 in a bid to cut the need for personnel at the track. However, it has not reached its goal so far as team members and drivers still needed to be present at the tracks on Thursday and it has also made the Friday schedule too busy.
Following problems at the Miami Grand Prix where Aston Martin ran into troubles with the fuel temperatures, the fuel will now be permitted to be chilled to 20°C at hotter races. The temperature reference will be taken one hour in advance of the session.
Red Bull and AlphaTauri had last-minute panic at the Spanish Grand Prix with Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly only just making it out of the Barcelona pit lane before it closed as the fuel in their cars was not at the legal minimum temperature level.
Deflection tests for Rear Wing Mainplane Trailing Edge and Beam Wing Flexibility have been updated, and the regulations regarding mirrors have also been tweaked to allow greater rearward visibility.
The regulations governing car limitations during tyre testing have also been updated. This is a reaction to the post-Emilia Romagna Grand Prix tests where Ferrari ran two different specifications of floor.
Following the reliability problems regarding the 2022 power units, an update has been made allowing a Power Unit to be replaced in Parc Fermé with one of a newer specification. Furthermore, the governing body has also added a provision to the rules to allow temporary repairs of power units.
The technical parameters of the 2026 power units have also been discussed at the WMSC. The rules are due to be finalised and presented before the next World Motor Sport Council meeting, following considerable work and consultation between the FIA, Formula 1, the incumbent Power Unit manufacturers and potential newcomers.
Opening of the second 2022 World Motor Sport Council meeting with Deputy President for Sport @robertreidwrc and WMSC Members at the @FIA headquarters in Paris today pic.twitter.com/oRDkTWTskW
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) June 29, 2022
Commenting on the meeting, the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “The World Motor Sport Council gathered in Paris to discuss a number of topics as we plan the way forward for the organisation, in the framework of our new governance approach.
„We continue to push forward on sustainability, towards our target of net-zero emissions in 2030. Members approved a new FIA Anti-Harassment and Non-discrimination Policy which reaffirms a zero-tolerance approach towards harassment and any form of discrimination. I want to thank the members for their ongoing efforts in laying out a path for the organisation to meet its long-term objectives,” Sulayem concluded.
