F1 teams warned of 'woeful misery' ahead of major rule change

F1 teams could be facing “woeful misery” when they hit the track at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

That is according to FIA single seater director Nicolas Tombazis, who warned the vast changes could see some squads unexpectedly slump to the back of the field.

The sport will see new power units and aerodynamic regulations come into play this year, marking one of the biggest rule changes in F1 history.

Tombazis, who has held senior technical roles at McLaren and Ferrari in the past, highlighted the scale of the challenge the teams are currently confronting.

“I certainly remember being on the other side of the fence when you have new regulations,” Tombazis told media including RacingNews365.

“One of the big challenges is operating in the dark. You don’t know where the others are.

“You don’t know whether you need to recover one second from one season to the next or if you're ahead and going to start the championship winning or in woeful misery.

“So that angst of the unknown, I think, is psychologically very draining for teams. I don’t live that side.”

Tombazis has played a key role in the formation of the regulations, which have been in the works for several years.

The 57-year-old signalled the FIA has continued working with the teams, right up until the end of 2025, to close up any minor issues with the rules.

“On our side, of course, as the FIA, the challenge is to make sure we tie all the loose ends of the regulations,” he said.

“It’s a big change in the structure, in trying to address a lot of topics, and we've worked together with the teams to try to resolve all the little issues, right to this moment.”