The FIA have approved a new reduced cost cap for Formula 1 teams and a new rule for aerodynamic testing after a vote by the World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday.
The council voted in favor of reducing the cost cap for 2021 to $145 million per year, down from the original $175 million. This was done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the cancellation of multiple grands prix resulting in financial issues for teams on the grid.
The other major rule change announced by the FIA is a sliding scale for aerodynamic development to be implemented in 2021 as well.
This new rule states that the lower the team finishes in the constructor’s championship, the more time they will get more time in a wind tunnel to do aerodynamic testing to develop next year’s car.
The hope is that this new rule will prevent the top teams from gaining a larger advantage on smaller teams with less funding and/or resources.
The FIA has also announced a reduction to power unit upgrades as well as changes to 2021 bodywork to reduce costs. Parts of the car like the chassis and suspension will remain the same on the 2021 cars, but the floor of the cars will be “clipped” to reduce the generation of downforce so that a new tire compound won’t be needed before the switch to 18 inch tires in 2022.
You can read a more comprehensive list of all the regulations announced here.
