Five Moments When F1 Changed the Rules in the Middle of the Season

However, this will not be the first time the FIA decided to take matters into its own hand and made some mid-season rule changes. That's why we chose to show you some similar moments from the past.

The X-Wings that Tyrrell brought in 1997 some of the most unique and flashy aerodynamics changes with the distinctive x-wings. These wings capitalized on the fact that the various boxes governing where you can and cannot place any bodywork left some generous gaps above the car. By the year 1998, teams like Ferrari, Sauber Prost, or Jordan had all started to use the x-wings, but by the fourth race of the schedule, they were informed that these bodywork elements were banned with immediate effect.

The justification from FIA was one of safety, fearing they would fall off and be collected by another car. However, the reason was much more straightforward. Formula One is all about the image, and these wings would have affected the aesthetic of an F1 car, so the banning was inevitable.

The skyscraper rear wing- The first sightseeing of the wings was at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, and from then, the technology rapidly evolved with skyscraper rear wings directly onto the hubs through some pylons. However, because of some bad accidents at the Spanish Grand Prix, the wings were gone just a year later in Monaco. The skyscraper wings were considered dangerous, and by the time of the next race, new rules had been finalized that banned these elements for good.

As a result, the new regulation stipulated that the body (with the exception of the rollover bar) could be no higher than 800 millimeters above the bottom of the sprung structure of the car with a maximum height of 1100 millimeters. At the same time, the front wing was restricted to the same level, and they shouldn't be more expansive than the front wheels.

Emergency speed reduction- The deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix had significant consequences for F1 but also called for short-term changes to make the cars slower. A lot of measures were considered by the FIA, like introducing a fuel flow meter to limit power. The race in Spain included front wings changes, a smaller diffuser, and others to cut 15% of the downforce. Other changes for the upcoming events were considered too extreme by the teams and were eventually replaced.

Mass damper- Fernando Alonso won his second straight championship in 2006 with Renault, but the French team provoked a rule change after the race at Magny Cours. The mass damper was used both at the front and the rear to minimize the car's vertical movement by absorbing the effects of bumps.

The success was achieved by suspending a small mass between springs, acting as a counterweight to the rest of the car. The mass damper used at the front of the Renault was a sealed unit mounted inside the nose, evening out the variation of front tires grip when cornering and braking. Ferrari used the same method, but then they were two tire supplier brands: Michelin and Bridgestone. Ferrari was using Bridgestone tires, which were stiffer, and the grip was not as good as the Renault Michelin's,resulting in time losses on every lap.

Huge airboxes- At the fourth race of the 1976 season, the Spanish Grand Prix, rule changes agreed eight months earlier transformed the face of Formula One, creating one of the significant controversies of the year. These changes were made to reduce the overhang beyond the front and rear wheels. As a visual impact, the new rule restricted the height of the towering air box structures to no more than 850 millimeters above the lowest sprung of the vehicle. This resulted in the elimination of weird and insane designs from many teams.

These were some of the most memorable and important mid-season rule changes made by the FIA.