The FIA has officially announced that any potential ban on Formula 1 tyre blankets will not be implemented until at least the 2025 season.
Originally, a vote was scheduled to decide whether the blankets should be prohibited for the 2024 campaign.
Pirelli conducted tests without using the blankets, which raised safety concerns among drivers. As Pirelli is still assessing the practicality of operating without the blankets, it was agreed to conduct further tests and reconsider the proposed ban for the 2025 season.
“Consistent with the future environmental and cost-saving objectives of the sport, an option to remove the use of tyre blankets has been under consideration, and the 2023 Pirelli tyre testing campaign has focused almost entirely on this objective, with expanded test days dedicated no-blankets testing,” read a statement from the FIA, which was issued during the first free practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix earlier today.
“Pirelli reported on the outcome of this test campaign to the F1 Commission. 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. Further analysis will continue for other potential future changes to the regulations that can improve the environmental sustainability of the sport.” – the statement continues.
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In Formula 1, tyre blankets play a crucial role in heating the compounds before the cars hit the track for their weekend sessions.
The purpose of these blankets is to facilitate a faster transition to full speed after changing tyres, and if they were to be banned, it would likely lead to significantly slower out laps, similar to the situation in IndyCar.
Mercedes driver George Russell had previously expressed concerns that a ban could lead to accidents and put mechanics at risk in the pit lane. Even reigning World Champion Max Verstappen expressed his disapproval of the idea this weekend in Belgium.
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