In Formula 1, there is no true Balance of Performance (BoP) system—at least not in the way it is implemented in other racing categories such as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), where the governing body adjusts each car’s power output based on past results to level the playing field and ensure closer racing.
However, since the 2021 Formula 1 season, a system known as Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions (ATR) has been in place. This regulation imposes a scaled limitation on the number of hours each team can use for wind tunnel testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The allocation is directly linked to the team’s position in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
The ATR system resets twice per year. That means that, relative to a fixed baseline, the leading teams in the standings receive fewer testing hours, while those lower in the order are granted more time in order to help close the performance gap and encourage competition.
Under the current rules, the team at the top of the Constructors’ Championship receives a 25% reduction in aerodynamic testing time, while the team in last place gets a 15% increase. The baseline allows for 320 wind tunnel runs and 2,000 CFD items to be tested in a two-month period.
Ahead of the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA redefined these aerodynamic testing allocations. This update may prove pivotal not only for the remainder of the 2025 season but also for preparations for the 2026 season, especially considering the major regulation changes coming into effect. Teams with increased allowances can choose whether to use those extra hours to recover lost ground this season—potentially worth tens of millions of euros—or to shift resources toward development of their 2026 car. For front-running teams with reduced testing time, the decision becomes far more delicate and strategic.
Current testing quotas based on standings before the Austrian GP
According to figures published by Motorsport.com, the current ATR allocations are based on the Constructors’ standings prior to the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix. Here’s how the updates affect each team:
| Position | Team | Multiplier | WT Runs (#) | Wind On Time (Hours) | Wind Tunnel Occupancy (Hours) | Geometries (#) | CFD Solving (MAuh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 70% | 224 | 56 | 280 | 1400 | 4.2 |
| 2 | Mercedes | 75% | 240 | 60 | 300 | 1500 | 4.5 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 80% | 256 | 64 | 320 | 1600 | 4.8 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 85% | 272 | 68 | 340 | 1700 | 5.1 |
| 5 | Williams | 90% | 288 | 72 | 360 | 1800 | 5.4 |
| 6 | Haas | 95% | 304 | 76 | 380 | 1900 | 5.7 |
| 7 | Racing Bulls | 100% | 320 | 80 | 400 | 2000 | 6.0 |
| 8 | Aston Martin | 105% | 336 | 84 | 420 | 2100 | 6.3 |
| 9 | Sauber | 110% | 352 | 88 | 440 | 2200 | 6.6 |
| 10 | Alpine | 115% | 368 | 92 | 460 | 2400 | 6.9 |
Alpine, who sat in last place before Austria despite finishing the 2024 season in sixth, will benefit most from the revised ATR. The French team will now enjoy 115% of the baseline quota, giving them access to 368 wind tunnel runs, 92 hours of wind tunnel time, and 2,300 CFD elements—up from the 1,900 they had in the first half of the year.
Aston Martin, another team that struggled in the early part of the season, also gains a boost in its testing quota. This will surely please legendary designer Adrian Newey, who recently joined the team. Aston Martin has already declared that it has redirected all resources toward the 2026 car, calling the 2025 campaign a “transition year.”
Williams, on the other hand, faces a sharp reduction in testing resources. After finishing ninth in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship but climbing to fifth by the time of the Austrian Grand Prix, their revised ATR quota drops to 90%. This means they will have just 288 wind tunnel runs—down from the 352 previously allowed—and only 1,800 CFD tests.
Mercedes, which has struggled since the reintroduction of ground effect in Formula 1, initially benefited from being lower in the standings and had one of the highest testing quotas among top-tier teams. That advantage helped them recover to second place in the standings by Austria. However, that progress comes at a cost: their ATR allocation now drops to just 75%, the minimum allowed. They now have only 60 hours of wind tunnel time—eight fewer than they had earlier in the season—and fewer simulation opportunities overall.
McLaren, the current championship leader since the end of 2024 and through the Austrian Grand Prix, sees no changes in its ATR level. They remain at the minimum 75% threshold for testing.
Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari have both dropped one position in the Constructors’ standings, ranking third and fourth respectively before Austria. This shift means that both teams gain a small but valuable testing boost: they will be allowed 16 additional wind tunnel runs and 100 extra CFD tests during the remaining three bi-monthly testing periods of the year.
Ferrari may use these gains to gather more data on its current SF-25 project in hopes of improving results during the second half of the 2025 season. Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, is expected to allocate its newly available resources toward the development of its 2026 car, given the looming regulation overhaul.
As for Racing Bulls and Sauber, both teams will experience slight reductions in their ATR quotas, though not enough to cause major concern.
Finally, Cadillac, which will officially enter Formula 1 in 2026, is already subject to ATR restrictions during its development phase. However, as a new entry, the American team will benefit from the maximum available testing allocation leading up to its debut.
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