Formula 1 will postpone the hotly-debated ban on tyre-heating blankets until after the 2024 season, according to FIA officials.

The world of Formula 1 is a delicate art of cutting-edge technology. Every little tweak and change in regulation can make a world of difference to teams, and one such tweak that has been the hot topic of discussion for months was the tyre blanket ban.

These are pads that keep those slick tyres toasty warm before a session, giving them that extra grip on the track.

But, the FIA has suddenly decided to postpone this much-discussed ban. And when I say “postpone,” I mean they’re holding off until after the 2024 season.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s all about energy consumption and the sport’s environmental sustainability targets. They want to make sure they’ve got all their gears in sync before they make such a significant change.

The proposed tyre blanket ban was aimed at cutting down on energy usage. But before they make this move, the FIA’s Formula 1 Commission, which includes all the teams, decided to run some tests. Some drivers felt that more work was needed, and the collective decision was made to hold off on the ban until 2025.

The Commission also had a chat about equalising the performance between the existing four manufacturers. Development has been frozen since last year, and there’s a feeling that Renault might be at a bit of a disadvantage.

The FIA took a good look at power unit performance during the first half of 2023 and found a notable performance gap between competitors. So, they’re going to explore ways to level the playing field and make it an even race. Plus, they also gave the green light for pre-season testing to take place outside of Europe next year, and they chose Bahrain as their new stomping ground.

From February 21st to 23rd, all pre-season testing action will be happening there, less than 10 days before the season opener.