Strict FIA shutdown rules force factories to go silent as Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren navigate the mandatory hiatus to balance performance gains with budget-cap savings.
The summer shutdown will last until August 23, when the teams return for the race weekend in the Netherlands. In the meantime, are our teams allowed to continue working on their cars?
The race to develop the cars could further narrow the gap at the top of the World Drivers' Championship. Mercedes has the clear advantage, but Ferrari and McLaren are battling for podium finishes and top points in every race. Partly due to these two factors, all F1 teams will want to significantly improve their current cars, but are they allowed to work on their cars during the summer break?
According to Article 21.8 of the Sporting Regulations, there must be a two-week period in August during which all activities must cease. There is no official date for this, as each team can determine it for itself. In any case, it must be a 14-day period in July/August, during which most of the work will be at a standstill.
Teams often opt for the two middle weeks because they need time the week before the Grand Prix to prepare everything for the race weekend. The week after the last race weekend before the summer break (in this case, the Hungarian GP) is usually used by teams to analyze the race weekend before the summer break begins.
What can and can't F1 teams do during the summer break?
Why are there summer breaks? There are two reasons for this. Besides the most logical explanation that each employee has the opportunity to relax and take a vacation, there are also lower costs for the teams and Formula 1 during those two weeks. Especially given the new budget cap and current global inflation, these two weeks are a nice bonus for the teams.
But not all work has stopped completely. Most employees are not allowed to work during the summer break. This includes all employees involved in improving the car's performance. Engineers, team principals, drivers, employees who build the cars, design, develop, and test parts, and suppliers are not allowed to work during those two weeks.
The same applies to the wind tunnels, where no activity is permitted during those 14 days. Work on broken or damaged cars is allowed, but only with FIA permission. All employees who do not necessarily work on the car or who can directly or indirectly improve the car's performance are allowed to continue working during those 14 days.
This includes finance, marketing, and legal staff. They can remain active for the team during the summer break. When work is not fully established, work on the car itself is not permitted.
