The 2024 Formula 1 season was one of the most exciting in recent times with four teams regularly challenging for race wins.
Max Verstappen managed to clinch the Drivers’ Championship, but didn’t have it all his own way like the previous year when he only failed to win three Grand Prix.
The upcoming campaign is expected to be even closer, with the rest of the paddock able to take inspiration from the steps forward McLaren and Ferrari took throughout the year to end the season with the fastest cars on the grid.
While the likes of Aston Martin, Alpine and Haas are unlikely to suddenly be challenging for race wins this year, the grid should converge to a point that’s never been seen before in Formula 1.
The worry for many fans is that when F1’s new regulations are introduced in 2026, one team may end up dominating the sport once again.
Pundit James Hinchcliffe was speaking on The Red Flags Podcast and shared one change he would love to see Formula 1 make to further challenge drivers.
Hinchcliffe comes from the world of IndyCar where teams aren’t allowed to use tyre warmers in the pit lane.
He believes F1 should remove these to give teams more strategy decisions to make and to improve the quality of racing.
James Hinchcliffe calls on Formula 1 to ban tyre warmers to improve on-track racing
Talking about the difference between IndyCar and F1 and how they could learn from each other, Hinchcliffe said: “From an on-track standpoint, I don’t think there’s honestly much that IndyCar could benefit from F1.
“You look the other way from the on-track side, understanding that because the cars are different, right, in IndyCar, everybody’s basically driving the same car.
“So, ignoring the inherent differences that are going to come from the fact that everyone’s driving a different car, I think tyre warmers are a big detractor of actual racing.
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“When a car leaves the pits after stopping F1, that’s as fast as it’s going to go, that stint, right?
“The tyres are up to temp, and the tyres are fresh and if you, as long as you come out physically in front of a guy, you’re pretty much staying in front of them and it’s kind of boring.
“Most F1 races, the undercut wins, right? So I would ban tyre warmers tomorrow, if I could.”
What are the current rules for using tyre warmers in Formula 1?
In 2023, team principals voted against banned tyre blankets for dry tyres that would have come into force in 2025.
At the moment, teams are allowed to heat tyres up to 70C for two hours before each session.
Warmer tyres give drivers more grip, meaning that when they leave the pit lane, they’re not at as much of a disadvantage as cars which are already on the track.
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Talking about the decision not to ban tyre warmers, via Sky Sports, Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said: “It was a long discussion. All the stakeholders went through the pros and cons and at the end all of us decided we need a bit more environment on them and to postpone by one year.”
Lando Norris has tested Pirelli’s 2026 tyres already and will already had an idea of whether they need heating up before racing from his time with the Italian manufacturer.
Lewis Hamilton may take part in a Pirelli tyre test as soon as this month in a bid to get up to speed with Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season and will have opinions of his own on how they behave.
