As the ground-effect era of Formula 1 concludes after the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA is offering a candid assessment of the regulations introduced in 2022. Designed to improve on-track action,competition,and financial stability,the rules have seen mixed success,according to FIA Single Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis. In a recent interview, Tombazis acknowledged progress while pinpointing aerodynamic loopholes exploited by teams that hampered the initial goals of closer racing, and revealed resistance when the FIA attempted to address the issues mid-season.
The era of ground-effect cars in Formula 1 concluded with the 2025 championship finale in Abu Dhabi, marking the end of a regulatory cycle introduced in 2022. The regulations were designed with three key objectives: to improve the show by allowing drivers to follow each other more closely, to tighten the competition, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the championship, including its financial health.
Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s Head of Single-Seater Technical Matters, offered a mixed assessment of the regulations. While acknowledging overall progress, he believes there’s room for improvement.
“I think we took a significant step in the right direction for most of these objectives, but I certainly wouldn’t say everything was a complete success, so I wouldn’t give us an A+. I’d probably give us a B or a C, or something like that,” Tombazis told several media outlets, including Motorsport.com.
The most successful aspect of the new regulations, according to Tombazis, has been the financial viability of Formula 1. He admitted that the budget cap has made the FIA’s job more complex, but it has undeniably stabilized and strengthened the sport’s financial footing. “I would say without hesitation that it’s not even conceivable today not to have financial regulations. So, I think that’s been a success,” added the Greek official.
Regarding improvements to the racing itself, the picture is slightly more nuanced. “Technically, I think yes, the cars clearly reached a level where they could be closer to each other,” Tombazis stated, referencing the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The ability for cars to run closely has been a key focus for F1 in recent years, aiming to increase overtaking opportunities.
“Where we don’t give ourselves a top mark is that there were some elements – I wouldn’t necessarily call them flaws, but certainly some aspects of the regulations that were a little too permissive, let’s say. And that allowed teams to adopt solutions that created an outwash effect.”
The outwash effect refers to the outward direction of airflow created by aerodynamic components, disrupting the air in a car’s wake and reducing downforce for following vehicles, particularly in corners.
Nikolas Tombazis
Photo de: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
When asked to elaborate on the specific areas of concern, Tombazis explained: “The main elements concerned were first of all the front wing endplates. Originally, they were intended to be high-inwash devices [so bringing the airflow inwards]. But progressively, all the rules relating to how the profiles articulate and join at the endplates weren’t strict enough. That led to profiles that were rather pushing the flow outwards in that area, creating a lot of outwash.”
“The other area that was heavily exploited was the design of the front wheel drum, the inside of the front wheel. I would also say that the edges of the floor came into that category. These are the main areas where the performance deteriorated compared to the intention of the rules.”
Not Enough Support for Changes in 2024/2025
Collectively, these elements contributed to increased dirty air and significantly complicated following other cars compared to early 2022, when on-track performance was still satisfactory for the FIA. When asked if the governing body considered modifying the regulations on this point during the last cycle, Tombazis acknowledged that the idea had been discussed.
“The points I mentioned are not new. It was already the case two years ago. Why didn’t we change the regulations? Well, we tried, but we didn’t get enough support from the teams,” he said.
“You need a regulatory framework to change the rules mid-season, which means a large number of teams have to support certain changes. It’s not just down to our willingness.”
However, for next year, Tombazis believes dirty air will be less of a factor, as it’s once again a key element of the new regulations. “We obviously believe the situation will improve, but we’ll revisit it in two years’ time and hopefully be able to tell you that everything went well and we’ll all be smiling,” he concluded.
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