RACES
A record of 24 grands prix are planned for the 2024 F1 calendar – the most in history. The schedule will be made up of the same 23 events that were originally planned for last year, with the return of the Chinese Grand Prix to the championship for the first time since the COVID pandemic in 2019. The driver Zhou Guanyu will therefore compete in his home grand prix for the first time in April. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, having been cancelled last year due to severe flooding in the region in the lead up to the event, should return to the calendar in May. However, for the first time since 2019, there will not be a new grand prix this year following the addition of the Qatar, Miami and Las Vegas grands prix over the last three seasons.
RULE CHANGES
Following the extreme heat that led to several drivers suffering physical illness and exhaustion during the Qatar Grand Prix, the FIA have changed the technical regulations for this season to permit teams to install what is called a ‘driver cooling scoop’ which, as the name implies, helps to channel air travelling over the car towards the cockpit in a bid to provide a cooling stream of air for drivers.
After starting development into methods to reduce spray generated by cars in wet conditions last season, the FIA will also continue to test and work on rear wheel covers in an effort to improve safety for drivers in the wet. Tire manufacturers Pirelli will be permitted to run 40 days of dedicated tire testing with teams this season, with an additional four days dedicated to testing wet weather tires.
With the start of the new year, teams will be permitted to run 2022-spec cars under the ‘testing of previous cars’ programme, used to provide F1 runs for development drivers. This year will be the first season that teams will be allowed to do so using their 2022 cars which use the ground effect aerodynamic concept currently applied by current F1 cars.
In a notable change to the sporting regulations, the FIA has dramatically increased the maximum fine it can apply to teams and drivers in the event of a penalty. The previous upper limit of €250,000 has quadrupled to €1 million (£870,000).
After multiple incidents of flares in grandstands in recent years at the Austrian and Dutch grands prix, the FIA has also prohibited any ‘pyrotechnical devices’ from Formula 1.