DOHA, QATAR (03 September, 2025) – As the 2025 Formula 1® season is well overway its halfway mark with 14 of 24 Grands Prix complete, several regulatory changes introduced for this season are now firmly shaping the competitive landscape. With the focus gradually shifting toward the sweeping technical overhaul in 2026, it’s worth revisiting the important updates currently in effect, many of which are influencing how teams race, strategise, and prepare in real time.

One of the most impactful changes this year has been the removal of the bonus point for fastest lap. Introduced in 2019 to encourage late-race risks, the point increasingly became a strategic loophole rather than a reward for outright performance. The decision to drop it came in the aftermath of incidents like the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, where Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap in a backmarker car, denying a title rival a valuable point. Without a bonus point, teams are no longer pitting late for fresh tyres just to snatch the fastest lap. At tighter circuits where overtaking is difficult and pit stops carry a higher cost, like Monaco, teams appear less inclined to make late tyre changes now that the fastest-lap bonus is off the table.

Car weight regulations have also been adjusted slightly for 2025. The minimum combined weight of car and driver has increased from 798kg to 800kg, reflecting a rise in the minimum driver weight from 80kg to 82kg. This change helps level the playing field for taller or heavier drivers, with teams adapting their ballast strategies accordingly across the opening rounds.

Driver wellbeing has also taken on greater prominence. The FIA's new cooling protocol allows fitting cars with an FIA-approved battery-powered cooling system where ambient temperatures exceed 30.5°C. The system circulates coolant through 48 meters of tubing integrated into the driver's undershirt, and races with active cooling include a 5kg increase in minimum car weight.

While optional in 2025, the system has received mixed reactions from drivers. George Russell successfully used it during the Bahrain Grand Prix, noting the 16-degree coolant felt "quite nice" in the 50+ degree cockpit. Several drivers including Oscar Piastri, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Yuki Tsunoda tested it during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. However, drivers like Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Piastri have criticized the system as uncomfortable and bulky, with some unable to use it due to seat design constraints. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton has expressed opposition, preferring the physical challenge however, the system becomes mandatory from 2026.

Aerodynamic flex has been a key area of scrutiny this year, with stricter rear wing regulations introduced to prevent designs like McLaren’s 2024 “mini DRS” from gaining an unintended edge. For 2025, DRS components must now transition fully open or closed within 400 milliseconds, with tighter tolerances around slot gaps. On the front wing side, the FIA has increased stiffness requirements by 33% starting from the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix—a proactive move as teams continue to explore clever aero flexibility. No breaches have been detected yet, but teams across the grid like Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren have visibly modified their wing designs.

Testing restrictions have also been refined. Teams now face a 20-day annual cap on “Testing of Previous Cars” (TPC), covering machinery two to four years old. Race drivers are limited to 1,000km across a maximum of four TPC days, while young driver development has been expanded—each team must now run rookies in four FP1 sessions during the season, up from two. So far, several teams have already rotated young drivers through these mandatory practice outings including Ollie Bearman (Ferrari), Jack Doohan (Alpine), and Isack Hadjar (RB), demonstrating active implementation mid-season.

Procedural updates have brought added clarity to weekend formats, especially in light of weather disruptions. Notably, if qualifying is cancelled (particularly relevant on Sprint weekends), the starting grid is now set based on Drivers’ Championship standings. The final grid is also now locked in just one hour before race start (down from two), with withdrawals up to 75 minutes before lights out allowing the grid to be reshuffled. These changes have already streamlined operations avoiding any chaos during race weekends.

With the season’s second half intensifying both on and off track, these regulatory changes remain central to how teams compete, prepare, and adapt. While all eyes are on the transformative 2026 ruleset ahead, the 2025 regulations continue to shape the stories and strategies of the present.

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