'Top teams as Red Bull and Mercedes hold back big change in Formula 1'

Formula 1 wants to get rid of the electric blankets that heat the tyres in the coming years. Although the smaller teams are in favour of a ban, the top teams are still fighting against the rule change.

Above all, the teams want to get rid of the blankets because of cost savings. For now, racing teams are spending around 280,000 euros on getting 40 electric blankets, so this adds considerably to the cost. Therefore, the smaller teams hope to get rid of them sooner. On the other hand, the bigger teams would rather keep the electric blankets, since cold tyres make the lap after the pit stop quite unpredictable.

According to Auto, Motor und Sport the smaller teams find it incomprehensible that others oppose the change. "In qualifying, the cars sometimes wait several minutes at the pit exit to get a good position on the track," a team manager responds to the medium. "In the process, the tyres cool down completely and somehow it still works out."

Ban of electric blankets in 2024

Formula 1 is reportedly thinking about a slow abolition. Where this season 40 blankets are allowed, in 2022 it lowers this number to 20. Rain tyres and intermediates may moreover no longer be heated by teams. Next year tyres are no longer allowed to be in blankets of 90 degrees but of 70 degrees. A year later it will be 50 degrees. From 2024 it is no longer allowed to heat tyres.