FIA, Tombazis confirms “new rules on chassis and aerodynamics coming”. Here’s what it’s about. New rules on chassis and aerodynamics.

Nikolas Tombazis, director of all single-seater championships, spoke to Il Corriere della Sera in a lengthy interview, addressing various topics related to the world of Formula 1. Here is an excerpt regarding the new structure of the Federation and the future of technical and sporting regulations.

Tombazis: “New rules on chassis and aerodynamics by June 2024”

“Why did the FIA recently change its command structure? To modernize the structure, creating room for a CEO (Natalie Robyn, editor’s note). To bring together aspects related to mobility and sport. And to enforce financial discipline. Then there was our department, which, since the passing of Charlie Whiting, no longer had a single responsible person,” Tombazis begins, speaking to the well-known newspaper.

Referring to the many new developments concerning race management, the former Ferrari member adds, “We have strengthened this area with the arrival of Steve Nielsen (sporting director, coming from Liberty Media, editor’s note). We decided to have a single race director (Niels Wittich, editor’s note) for more consistency in decisions, a complex issue. For us, for the drivers and teams, harmony and certainty are needed.”

The topic of consistency is indeed one of the most discussed within the paddock. Many wonder why the same stewards are not used for all races. Nikolas Tombazis provides a clear explanation, saying, “There are good reasons not to do so. The stewards are independent of the FIA, so if they were always the same, they would have to become our employees. And we would lose external control over our work.”

Regarding the new regulations concerning engines that will come into effect from 2023, Tombazis states, “The engines are defined: we have increased the electric capacity. And with the introduction of sustainable fuel, there will be a 70% reduction in environmental impact. It’s just the first step.”

Finally, Nikolas Tombazis announces that there will soon be updates regarding the chassis and aerodynamics: “The rules will be defined by June 2024. There will be a significant reduction in aerodynamic resistance. The current F1 cars have an invisible ‘parachute’ on the straight, and we want to remove it for environmental coherence as well. How? By reducing air resistance, the single-seaters will have movable elements, which will help on the straights.”