Along with the updated 2021 racing regulations, the FIA has issued a disappointing directive: all development and redesign work for the 2022 championship must stop. This is a significant shift, as engineers had been leveraging the current rules to prepare for major aerodynamic changes in the 2022 lineup.
The motorsport world has been in a state of stagnation since the start of 2020, as the pandemic halted track activity and disrupted the financial stability of racing organizations. Although the 2021 regulations provided a $175 million budget for R&D and track testing, the current crisis has forced teams to stop investing those funds into car development.
The 2020 Grand Prix calendar was heavily disrupted, with eight key races postponed or cancelled, which eventually led to a temporary development ban for several teams. The Australian Grand Prix, scheduled for March 13, 2020, was the first major casualty as the pandemic surged. This was followed by the suspension of the Bahrain Grand Prix in the Persian Gulf, as well as delays for the races in Vietnam, China, the Netherlands, and Spain throughout April and May 2020.
The Monaco Grand Prix was cancelled entirely, while the Azerbaijan and Canadian races in June 2020 faced initial delays before eventually attempting to stay on the calendar. In a move to provide financial relief, the World Motor Sports Council and the FIA mandated a production shutdown for all ten F1 manufacturers, including giants like Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, and Renault. The future of the racing schedule and the Olympics, which were moved to 2021, now depends entirely on the successful containment of the virus and the safety of the public and athletes.