What has changed for the current season?

With ten races of the 2025 F1 season done and dusted, F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo recaps some key sporting and technical changes for the 24-race season.

One of the most significant tweaks to the 2025 Formula One Sporting Regulation was the removal of the additional point for the quickest race lap.

Although the rule was only reintroduced in F1 in 2019, this concept has a long tradition in Grand Prix racing, originally featuring in the points system in the first decade of the World Championship, between 1950-59.

The rule that made its return six years ago saw the driver with the fastest race lap receive an addition championship point, albeit it was only awarded if a driver finished in the top ten. A key drawback of the rule was that a driver outside the top ten could set the fastest lap and deny a competitor in the points from earning the bonus.

For several years, teams and drivers have been heavily restricted in terms of completing on-track running outside Grand Prix weekends. The Sporting Regulations incorporate Testing of Previous Cars and Testing of Historic Cars.

The former allows teams to conduct running with relevant cars and several outfit used to capitalize on it to provide their drivers with the opportunity of getting themselves up to speed after longer breaks such as the winter off-season.

Away from a Grand Prix weekend, teams are now restricted in how much testing they can conduct with older car models - which are between two and four years old.

Teams are allowed a maximum of Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) to 20 days with current drivers limited to 1,000km over four days.

Additionally, teams will have to field a rookie driver in four practice sessions this season, doubling from the mandatory two last year. For clarity, a rookie is defined as a driver who has started in no more than two F1 races.

In terms of weight, another minor technical tweak has been introduced to support taller drivers in the sport: the minimum driver weight allowance has increased from 80kg to 82kg - with the minimum weight of the car and driver rising to 800kg in total.

A new rule introduced for 2025 to improve driver comfort mandates a cooling system - a vest the driver must wear, featuring tubes that pump coolant.

The system was developed after the extreme temperatures of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. When forecast temperatures are in excess of 31 degrees C, the FIA will declare a ‘Heat Hazard’ and all components of the Driver Cooling System must be fitted - and cars will be allowed to run with an additional 5kg of weight to their overall mass.

As for the coolant, the technical regulations specify that it must be air, water, or an aqueous solution of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, or propylene glycol.

Another key change mandated at least two pit stops for the Monaco Grand Prix. In dry conditions, every driver were forced to use at least two different tyre compounds. The idea was to spice up the action in a traditionally processional race, albeit the first trial did not produce what the sport hoped for, with team-mates having worked together in an undesirable manner.

Finally, in the event of bad weather or if Qualifying gets cancelled for any reason, the grid for the Grand Prix will be based on the current standings in the Drivers’ Championship.