BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 26: Isack Hadjar of France driving the (6) Visa Cash App Racing Bulls VCARB 02 on track during day one of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on February 26, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images for Pirelli)
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Navigating Formula 1 Rules in 2025: New Must-Know Regulations

Posted by AR1 staff

The Formula 1 ecosystem thrives on speculation, with team movements, technical innovations, and regulation changes constantly generating discussion throughout the racing community.

Many of these developments remain in flux, with official confirmations pending and circumstances evolving weekly.

This article will delve particularly into the new F1 regulatory changes for 2025. So, whether you are a F1 athlete or a vehement F1 fan, it is advisable to be attentive to anything outlined down below.

Fantasy or Sports Betting is popular with F1 racing fans now, and it is important that they understand what changes have been implemented in the sport to improve their odds of winning.

Let us get started. 

The adopted changes are all designed to ensure driver safety as well as enhance both excitement and fairness of the sport. Such a transition is usually manifested in technical and sporting regulations.

Technical Regulations

  1. Driver cooling system

In extremely high-temperature climatic conditions (above 30.5°C), any participating vehicle now has to have a cooling system installed, which is meant to prevent drivers from any risks associated with overheating. The introduction of the rule has led to a 5 kg increase of the car’s minimum weight while the primary goal is to safeguard the physical health of those behind the wheel.

  1. Minimum weight adjustment

In order to ensure the fairness of the game, especially in regard to taller drivers, the minimum driver weight allowance has been increased from 80 kg to 82 kg, meaning that the car’s minimum weight has been slightly raised by 2 kg – from 798 kg to 800 kg. Therefore, however small the change is, it should contribute to a more equal playing field for drivers of various height categories.

  1. DRS changes

Another change has gotten into the DRS system, which helps drivers overtake by adjusting the rear wing. As of today, the gap in the  rear wing’s DRS slot will be a bit smaller, which leaves less opportunities for drivers to pass each other. Additionally, when DRS is deactivated, there will be procedures ensuring that the rear wing gets back to its initial position. This way, the whole racing process becomes fairer and more transparent.

Sporting Regulations

  1. Testing restrictions

Now, there are only 20 days allowed for testing with last season’s car while active drivers can only drive for 1,000 km during four days of testing. As for the testing at race venues, it is also banned within 60 days of a race. These limitations aim to enhance fairness and prevent teams from extracting any kind of benefit from testing.

  1. Canceling the fastest lap point award

Introduced in 2019, the fastest lap award ceases to exist this year. This removal is meant to eliminate distraction and push the teams to focus on overall race performance and finishing in the best possible position.

  1. Qualifying backup plans

Should qualifying be canceled for whatever reason, drivers have a chance to start the race from a certain point, which will be determined by the backup plan. Thanks to this rule, the race is guaranteed to happen in unforeseen circumstances. 

  1. Grid adjustments

The final starting grid will not open for one hour before the race. In case the car withdraws from the race up to 75 minutes before the start, it will not appear on the grid while the other cars will move up to fill the spots. This novelty is intended to ensure that everything is settled and organized before the race begins.

  1. Requirement to include a young driver

Currently, teams are required to include at least one young driver in their team so that they can take part in two free practice sessions each season. The rule applied for each car. Thus, drivers with much less experience will be given a chance to try F1 car racing. Meanwhile, teams might benefit from identifying new talents during official practice sessions.