What F1 teams can and cannot do during the summer break
Now that the Belgian Grand Prix is done and dusted, F1 is set to go into a period of hibernation before the season resumes in three weeks at Zandvoort.
The summer shutdown marks an important period in the busy schedule as it provides the teams with an obligatory break.
But what actually happens during the summer break, why is the mandatory shutdown in place and how long do the factories go into lockdown?
RacingNews365 explains it all for you!
What is the F1 summer break?
The F1 summer break is a mandatory closure for all the teams and factories.
After the last grand prix of the first half of the season (Belgium in this case), the factories are obliged to close for 14 days.
This is fixed in F1’s sporting regulations, Article 21.8 to be precise, which states: “The first period of fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days during the months of July and/or August” must observe a shutdown period.
Despite the above rule, teams are, on paper, free to choose when to enter the summer shutdown, as long as it takes place in July and/or August. As far as RacingNews365 understands, all F1 teams will be closed from Monday, August 5.
With the Belgian GP concluding on Sunday, July 28, the few days this week have allowed the teams to analyse the data from that race, and the preceding one in Hungary.
The development of the car and the production or design of new parts is strictly prohibited during the shutdown and team members are not allowed to have any contact on development topics.
The FIA will have access to all systems and can monitor communications. However, certain activities are allowed to continue to keep the team running, such as administrative work, facility services, marketing and maintenance of the buildings and machinery.
The rest of the year
The F1 season resumes on Friday, August 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix from Zandvoort.
The schedule beyond that includes several fly-away events, such as the grand prix in Singapore, Mexico, and Brazil, as well as two races in the United States.
Check out the F1 calendar after the summer break below!
