Era · 2022–2025
Ground effect returns and the cost cap bites
New aerodynamics intended to allow close following, alongside a budget cap that began to compress the field. Red Bull's 2023 was the most dominant season on record; by 2025 the top three drivers finished within thirteen points.
- Dominant
- Red Bull, McLaren
- Technology
- Venturi tunnels, porpoising, 18-inch wheels, the $135-145 m cost cap, sprint weekends
- Confidence
- medium
The seasons 4
| Season | Rounds | Drivers' champion | Driving for | Points | Wins | Runner-up | Margin | Title race | Constructors' champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 423 | 7 | Max Verstappen | 2 | McLaren | |
| 2024 | 24 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 437 | 9 | Lando Norris | 63 | McLaren | |
| 2023 | 22 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 575 | 19 | Sergio Perez | 290 | Red Bull Racing | |
| 2022 | 22 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 454 | 15 | Charles Leclerc | 146 | Red Bull Racing |
Margin is the points gap between champion and runner-up at the end of the season; before 1991 that is net of dropped scores, so it can look small beside the wins. A row marked “so far” is the season still running: its leader, not its champion. The title race is the champion’s lead over the runner-up after each round, above the line when ahead and below it when behind, each season drawn to its own scale. A row reading “not yet run” is a calendar that has been announced and not yet raced. A blank constructors’ champion before 1958 is not a gap — the championship did not exist yet.
Engine formulae 1
| Era | Formula | Typical | Power (bhp) | Revs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The turbo-hybrid era 2014–2025 | 1.6 L V6 turbocharged hybrid | V6 + MGU-K + MGU-H | ~850-1,050 combined | 15,000 rpm limit (practically ~12,000) | Thermal efficiency passed 50% — roughly double a road engine. Mercedes's split-turbo layout, with compressor and turbine at opposite ends of the engine, gave it a multi-year advantage. |
Regulation changes 3
| Year | Category | Change | Detail | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | sporting | Fastest lap point removed | The bonus point introduced in 2019 was dropped. | Removed an incentive for late 'free' pit stops by out-of-contention cars. |
| 2023 | sporting | Floor edge and stiffness rules tightened | Floor edges raised and diffuser throat height increased to curb porpoising. | — |
| 2022 | technical | Ground effect returns | Venturi tunnels reinstated with simplified over-body aerodynamics, 18-inch wheels and standardised parts. | Intended to let cars follow closely. Porpoising — aerodynamic bouncing — dominated the first season and forced a mid-2022 technical directive on floor stiffness and a vertical-oscillation metric. |
Technical innovations 1
| Year | Innovation | Originator | What it was | What became of it | Banned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Zero-sidepod concept | Mercedes W13 | A radical narrow-sidepod interpretation of the ground-effect rules. | Abandoned after two seasons; a rare example of a distinctive concept that simply did not work. | — |
Safety 1
Aeroscreen research and roll-hoop redesign2022
After: Zhou Guanyu's inverted crash at Silverstone
Roll-hoop homologation revised to eliminate pointed designs that could dig into the surface.