Ferrari forced to change testing plans after FIA rules confusion

F1

Ferrari has changed its plans to use a 2021 car for its private test following a lack of clarity over F1's sporting regulations

Carlos Sainz, 2021

Sainz at the wheel of the SF71H in 2021

Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Ferrari has been forced to change its plans for a private test at Fiorano after failing to get a response from the FIA clarifying the F1 sporting regulations.

Testing rules means teams cannot use current cars though Ferrari had intended to run its 2021 car given the regulations changing for the upcoming season. Plans have now changed to run the 2018 SF71H instead following a lack of response from the governing body

“This morning, the test programme which Scuderia Ferrari was due to carry out, starting today at the Fiorano track has been changed,” a statement from Ferrari confirmed.

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“While awaiting an update from the FIA as to how rules relating to “Test Previous Cars,” which establish the criteria for which cars can be used in this type of test, are being applied for 2022, the decision has been taken to use a 2018 SF71H car. Further details on the test programme will follow later.”

The regulations have not yet been updated to define whether or not last season’s cars would now be applicable to use.

Currently, the sporting regulations state that testing using current generation cars is strictly prohibited though cars from the previous three years preceding the current year’s championship are permitted.

“Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) shall be defined as any track running time, not part of an Event, in which a Competitor entered in the Championship participates (or in which a third party participates on behalf of a Competitor or a supplier of a homologated power unit), using cars which were designed and built in order to comply with the Formula 1 Technical Regulations of any of the three calendar years falling immediately prior to the calendar year preceding the Championship.”

With the huge changes to the cars for the upcoming season, Ferrari intended to run its 2021 car though that is no longer the case, with all three of the drivers participating (Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Robert Shwartzman) now using the team’s 2018 car.