Formula 1’s governing body has approved new rules allowing teams to test modified cars in order to simulate the forthcoming 2026 regulations.
However F1’s official tyre supplier Pirelli has previously warned it will be “impossible” to adapt recent cars to simulate the regulations which will apply after next season.The FIA World Motorsport Council approved an addition to the 2024 Sporting Regulations which allows a total of 10 days of ‘mule car’ testing to take place this year.
Teams may use chassis built to the technical regulations of any of the four preceding seasons – 2020 to 2023 – as a basis for the mule cars. This includes cars created before and after the current ‘ground effect’ regulations were introduced in 2022.
“Testing of Mule Cars (TMC) shall be defined as any track running time, not part of a competition, in which a competitor entered in the championship participates (or in which a third party participates on behalf of a competitor or a supplier of a homologated power unit), using cars which were designed and constructed in order to comply with the technical regulations or with the technical regulations of any of the four calendar years falling immediately prior to the calendar year of the championship, but suitably modified for the purpose of providing the appointed tyre supplier with a means of track testing of its future products or for providing the FIA with a means of testing components or systems for future championship seasons,” states the new rule.
“No competitor may sell or make available any such car to any third party without the prior authorisation of the FIA,” it adds.
“Cars must include and are limited to the minimal modifications necessary for the purpose of testing development tyres or for testing components or systems on behalf of the FIA for future championship seasons, as determined by the FIA.”
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However the 2026 regulations will reduce the size and weight of the cars, introduce more sophisticated active aerodynamics and revised power units. Teams are likely to find all these changes more difficult to simulate with current cars. The pre-2022 models permitted under the rules may provide a better basis for comparison.
“It’s impossible, I would say, to create a mule car with similar characteristics,” Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola told RaceFans. “We will not have smaller cars. We can save some weight – instead of doing long runs with full tanks you can, reduce the level of fuel just to simulate the weight. But for the rest, it’s impossible because you don’t have the active aerodynamics.”
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Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
31st July 2024, 20:27
And in a remarkable twist – Sauber have been running a mule all year.
SteveP
31st July 2024, 21:11
Or, maybe, a donkey?
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
31st July 2024, 23:36
I would say an e-mule !
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage- Special Unhinged Edition (@davedai)
1st August 2024, 3:07
Ahhh thanks!
That explains why it’s e-mule late
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
31st July 2024, 21:36
The Ferrari test team’s logo is a prancing mule.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
31st July 2024, 23:41
Forget about 2026; let’s set our sights on 2027. By then, Pirelli will have all the data from 2026 to work with. Mario, can you assure us that you’ll deliver something other than your usual subpar rubber in your 17th attempt in F1 ?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
1st August 2024, 3:16
The problem is at pirelli they’re convinced they’re doing a great job, they don’t get enough criticism from f1.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
1st August 2024, 7:09
Of course they don’t. They are the ones who came up with the stupid idea of running on intentionally degrading tyres in the first place
S
2nd August 2024, 10:47
F1 – not Pirelli – pushes the idea of high-deg tyres.
F1 is eternally fearful of going slower, despite how much better the racing could be as a result.
MichaelN
1st August 2024, 9:41
Pirelli can’t get Dallara to make a car? Really? They’re spending millions on billboards but can’t be bothered to prepare properly?
F1’s tyres are a joke in the racing world, and with good reason.
Asd
1st August 2024, 12:22
Exactly! Dallara is the producer of the current and several previous F2 and Super Formula cars and IndyCars.
They could easily have a mule car by tomorrow evening, and all they need is an F1 engine.
S
2nd August 2024, 10:48
But would it work the tyres the same way that (future) F1 cars will?
If not, it’s totally worthless – which is exactly what Pirelli are saying.
Asd
3rd August 2024, 20:10
The mule cars in 2016 apparently did work well enough. Also, Pirelly didn’t state anything close to “Nah, it’s not worth creating mule cars”.
Asd
1st August 2024, 12:44
On a side note, the mule Ferrari from the photograph looks quite nice. The 2016 spec car had been widened from the pathetic 180cm to the proper 200cm (2017 spec), making it look like an actual F1 car, not some fugly regional F4 car.
Seann Sheriland
4th August 2024, 21:18
Why is their no competition between tire manufacturers. Pirelli and any other manufacturer.
It would add a bit of rivalry between the manufacturers and the cars they supply to.