FIA will start surprise inspections for Formula 1 teams

Starting this winter, the FIA will commence unannounced inspections at Formula 1 team facilities every two to three weeks. The increased personnel in the relevant departments of the international federation enables this initiative. Until now, the FIA had coordinated visits with the teams, and there had always been prior notice. However, the element of surprise was lacking, meaning teams always had the opportunity to prepare for inspections.

“We have been aiming to increase the staff for quite some time because we were constantly short of people. We recently filled the positions to the desired number. This allows us to conduct visits to the teams approximately every two to three weeks,” noted Nicholas Tombazis, who is responsible for single-seater championships at the FIA.

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The introduction of budget caps and the allocation of time for work in wind tunnels have led to numerous constraints on the work of Formula 1 teams. The financial and technical rules have such specific details that the FIA can scrutinize multiple parameters directly during its visits to the teams’ factories.