Formula 1 made history in 2023, but not in the way everyone would like to see it. There was no titanic battle for the championship, not even between two teammates. Verstappen lapped everyone and was in the lead for 1,003 laps. He will probably want to repeat this trick in 2024, but for that Red Bull must deal well with all the changes in F1 for 2024.
The prospects are good for Verstappen. No major changes to F1 cars are planned in 2024. The engines will remain the same until 2026, the tires will not change, nor will most of the technical rules. Verstappen has not often had to push his equipment to the limit, so we expect that these minimal changes will not do much to Verstappen’s dominance.
Two new names on the grid
There will be no new drivers on the grid in 2024, but there will be two teams with a new name. At AlphaTauri they choose to rebrand the entire team. Franz Tost will no longer experience the new name, logos and color scheme as team boss. He retires after eighteen years of service and hands over to Laurent Mekies, who comes over from Ferrari.
The other Alfa team is also going through a metamorphosis. In recent years the team has been sponsored by Alfa Romeo, which also provided technical input. After a six-year collaboration it ends for Alfa Romeo. The team will continue as Sauber Motorsport in 2024. The team only has to do this for two years, because Audi will intervene in 2026.
The longest F1 calendar ever is back
The F1 calendar doesn’t change that much, but there are still more races. Ultimately, 22 races were held in 2023. China dropped out because the coronavirus was still being dealt with. It was briefly considered whether the race would be replaced with another circuit, but this did not happen. The Emilia Romagna GP was also cancelled. Floods caused the cancellation here.
Read here: The F1 calendar for 2024 has been announced: three races on Saturday
In 2024, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and the Shanghai International Circuit will be back on the F1 calendar. This would make 2024 the longest season ever. The FIA has also looked at a better flight plan. That is why some races have changed places. The Las Vegas GP will be followed by a race in the Middle East, something the drivers really complained about.
The sprint format is being overhauled
Whatever you think of the sprint races, it created extra tension at various race weekends, for example in Belgium and Austria. Teams have less time to set up the car perfectly and who really likes watching three practices? That is why the sprint weekends will remain in 2024, but the format will change slightly.
The F1 commission has not yet said where the sprint races will be held or what the new format will look like. The committee does report that the sprint activities will be different from the GPs. Furthermore, driving times and the parc fermé rules are taken into account. It should be known in the coming weeks where the sprint races will be in 2024.
Heat control after the Qatar GP
This year’s Qatar GP was one with a bad aftertaste for F1 due to circumstances that the drivers had to deal with. Due to the extreme heat in the cockpit, Logan Sargeant had to give up, Lance Stroll fainted behind the wheel and Ocon had to take a street pizza. In 2024, F1 will run in Losail later in the year, so it should be colder. F1 is not taking any risks in 2024 and is making changes to the car to prevent a recurrence.
‘Following the extreme temperatures during the Qatar Grand Prix, the committee has approved updates to the technical regulations to allow an air scoop that provides more cooling for the driver in the car. Additional analysis is being done into additional cooling options for more extreme conditions,” the FIA writes. This opens the door to a loophole from the past.
Also read: This interesting F1 trick from the past may return in 2024
More time during filming days, but less during test days
The F1 jitters will return at the end of February. The teams announce their liveries and the first days of filming are held. In 2024, F1 teams will still be allowed to use two days to shoot pictures. Teams are allowed to ride 200 kilometers during a ‘promotional event’. Last year this was still 100 kilometers. The F1 cars still have to drive on the special promotional tires and can therefore collect little or no valuable data.
After this, the test days start in Bahrain. From Wednesday, February 21 to Friday, February 23, teams can test from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Last year the test sessions lasted until 7:30 PM. After the testing days, the F1 teams have a week to prepare the cars for the start of the season, which will also be held in Bahrain.
#Overview #Overview #major