Formula 1 Comission: key discussions and votes on tyres, budget cap and power units

During the three days of track activities last weekend at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, there were some intriguing gatherings in the paddock. The Mercedes, Ferrari, Alpine and McLaren team principals were spotted together in the FIA hospitality area of the Hungarian track.

At this juncture, there are several crucial aspects to address before reaching a decision on the future of Formula 1, leading up to the formulation of a new Concorde Agreement. An important meeting of the F1 Commission (comprising members from Formula 1, FIA, and the teams) is slated for the weekend at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium

Typically, these groups are represented by Stefano Domenicali, Nikolas Tombazis, and the ten team delegates, respectively. This is where the proposals can be ratified through voting and then forwarded to the world council of the Federation for the regulations to be published.

It is no secret that the most anticipated decision revolves around the elimination of electric blankets.

In a recent interview for Formu1a.uno, Pirelli boss Mario Isola explaiend that “decisions must be made based on data and not on sentiment” and also pointed out that “after Silverstone we will draw a line and all together we will make a decision”.

The moment has arrived for a crucial call regarding the tires, which have recently garnered significant attention due to various statements. Former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso expressed dissatisfaction with the changes in performance after the introduction of the 2024 specification. Pirelli indirectly responded by stating that the teams provided overall “transparent” feedback regarding usage.

This problem is complex, as there might be political movements or negotiations hidden behind such pressures. Pirelli’s preference, if any, is to confirm the removal of pre-heating of tires.

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Two reasons support this preference – first, the development work has been ongoing for quite some time to address this issue comprehensively. Abandoning it now would mean wasting the substantial engineering and technical efforts invested in these regulations.

Secondly, eliminating pre-heating would provide Pirelli with a significant technical advantage over potential strong competitors like Bridgestone. The contract between Formula 1 and Pirelli expires at the end of 2024, and a new agreement will be considered.

After receiving technical approval from the FIA, the matter becomes commercial between F1 and the tire supplier in the tendering process. The progress of the discussions appears to be partially linked to the upcoming vote.

Some teams seem to have a neutral stance, leaving room for discussion before reaching a final decision.

If five out of the ten teams vote against the abolition, the process will be halted. In an era of Formula 1 with limited on-track testing, there’s a demand for an ever-improving product. However, the focus should not solely be on pleasing everyone.

The key is to agree on priorities, especially those related to safety. For instance, a tire that warms up quickly after a few corners may lead to overheating issues.

Technicians need to adapt to these characteristics for 2024, ensuring the tires start working in a lower temperature range. Aerodynamicists require early knowledge of the casing profile’s stiffness during cornering.

Moreover, conducting appropriate track tests to confirm or deny load simulations remains a challenge.

Pirelli has also become structurally significant in terms of sponsorships commercially. “It would be quite surprising if the Japanese manufacturer’s offer were on a higher level,” said a neutral source.

The Friday vote holds immense importance, and a decision cannot be postponed. Should the opposition to elimination win, an interesting scenario could unfold with a less apparent Pirelli-Bridgestone competition.

However, in the event of a change, some teams worry about the supplier for the car used in their product development. Aston Martin and McLaren will carry out their final tests on the 2024 tires before the summer break on August 1 and 2.

Another story involves the power units, with Alpine pushing for greater fairness after the reliability changes, which they believe have been exploited by engine manufacturers to gain more horsepower.

In reality, the Italian side showed strong performances last season, but breakdowns prevented them from utilizing the available power. Generally, all teams have improved hybrid efficiency thanks to important software updates. Currently, it appears that Ferrari and Honda have a power unit similar in maximum performance, with a slight horsepower advantage over Mercedes and around 10hp over Alpine – equivalent to a 2/3 tenths gap.

Additionally, new rumors are emerging about budget cap violations. Although the FIA clarified that there are no definitive results of the financial analysis process at present, more than one voice in the paddock has concerns about the situation.

As evident, the budget cap significantly impacts technical development. Teams carefully consider every choice, weighing costs and limiting work in simulations and the garage.

For this reason, the main concerns involve certain costs, especially regarding engineering personnel, potentially being partially diverted through external consultancy activities. The control of such situations becomes challenging when external engineers are paid for a certain percentage of their time but then utilized for more, affecting financial calculations.

The issuance of financial regularity certificates is expected sooner than last year.