The🎃 Formula 1 Commission is meeting virtually today to debate a number of significant develo😼pments that will impact the sport.

F1’s stakeholders - F1, the FIA and the teams - will discuss several key ⭕topics. Among them are a potential engine freeze, the introduction of Saturday sprint races, and confirmation that Portimao will return to the calendar to host the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The outcomes of some of these issues will be important in helping to determine the future landscape of the sport, as well as having knock-on♛ repercussions up and💫 down the grid.

Here’s a m꧒ore in-depth look a🉐t the main matters that will dominate the discussion…

Red Bull’s engine freeze push

Red Bull has called on F1 to introduce a freeze to engine development from 2022 in the wake of Honda’s decision to quit the sport. This is set to be the most complex of the matters up for 🍎discussion today.

With the Japanese manufacturer set to bow out at the end of the ye💯ar, Red Bull and sister squad Al♌phaTauri will be left with no power unit supplier for the 2022 season.

Red Bull has made it clear that it wants to 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:take over the Hond꧒a engin꧑e project but insists it can only do this if an engine freeze 🍸is imposed as it cannot afford to develop the power unit in-house at the same rate compared to manufacturers Mercedes𓆉, Ferrari and Renault.

While the call has drawn some support, namely from Mercedes and Ferrari, Renaul♑t was less keen a💖s it is planning on developing a brand new power unit for 2022 after its previous push for an engine freeze was blocked by Red Bull.

Thereꦑ is the added complication that Red Bull and Ferrari have endorsed the idea of introducing a me🍒chanism of equalisation for power units along with the engine freeze, something which Mercedes in particular fiercely opposes, with Toto Wolff warning that the introduction of a ‘balance of performance’ would be “the beginning of the end” for F1.

Red Bull has struck an initial agreement with Honda and is waiting on a vote which will finally come today following a 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:number of delays.

Should an engine fꦕreeze be given the go-ahead, the next generation of power unit rules are likely to be pushed forward by a season to 2025. Teams are in favour of an earlier introduction of the next set of engine rules providing a solution🌱 can be found to lower costs.

If voted 🅺down, Renault would automatically be obliged to supply Red Bull with power units as the engine manufacturer with the fewest customer teams.

However, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko recently admitted the Milton Keynes squad has no ‘Plan B’ in place and made it clear the futures of both Redꦅ Bull and AlphaTauri could be in doubt if the deal ultimateꩲly falls through.

Saturday sprint races

A new F1 proposal for s🐬horter Saturday ‘sprint’ races at certain rounds in 2021 is also on the table for discussion as part of t🔯he sport’s bid to shake up the traditional weekend format and increase entertainment.

F1 is pushing to trial🌃 run a Saturday 100-km sprint race - a third the length of a grand pri🌳x - that would determine the grid for Sunday’s main grand prix at rounds in Canada, Italy and Brazil this season.

For the selected events, Friday’s second practice session would be replaced by qualifying to set the grid for the shorter Saturday race, which in turn would sort the final grid for S💧unday. The top-eight finishes in the sprint race would receive reduced champion🥃ship points.

The Canadian, Italian and Braz✨ilian Grands Prix have been targeted because they are venues known for producing exciting racing.

For the plan to be passed, it needs a ‘super majority’ of 28 of the 30 votes split between F1, the governing body the FIA and the teams. F1 an🦄d the FIA have 10 votes each, while the teams are allocated one apiece.

F1 has long been considering a format change and has devised the new sprint race idea after a previous bid to introduce reverse-grid qualifying races failed to get off the ground on three occasions, w𝓀ith Mercedes refusing to back the plan.

It is unclear how much support there is for F1’𒈔s new proposal, which if approvedꦜ, would be used more widely in 2022.

The final 2021 F1 calendar

One of the simpler topics for discussion is the final confirmation of Portimao’s 168澳洲幸运ꦕ5官方开奖结果历史:inclusion on the final 2021 F1 calendar.

F1 bosses and circ🌄uit organisers have agreed that the Algarve circuit can have the third round of the 2021 season on 2 May, filling the cu𒐪rrent vacant slot on the 23-round schedule.

The third race of the upcoming campaign was left 𓂃as ‘TBC’ in the latest calendar update published in January, though Portugal was widely expected to return to the calendar after it proved a popular additi🐓on to the revised 2020 schedule when it staged a grand prix for the first time in October.

F1’s plan to race at Po𓆉rtimao faced some doubt because of the deteriorating coronavirus situation in Portugalℱ, which remains in a national lockdown.

Portugal has also been added to the UK’s ‘red list’ of 33 countries, meaning that from Monday, UK residents and Irish nationals arriving into the country will have to quarantine for 10 d🍒ays in specifi🔯c hotels selected by the government.

F1 personnel heading to the Portuguese GP will therefore be prevented from returning t🦂o the UK before the Spanish GP, which tไakes place a week later on 9 May.

This means that staff attending those races are set for longer spells in Europe, and will🦩🐽 either go straight to Monaco, or return to the UK after the 10-day restriction period has elapsed.

Teams are set to be informed of F1’s decision during the ꦜmeeting of the F1 commission.