The FIA, Formula One’s governing body, have announced many rule changes for the 2026 season that drivers and teams will need to quickly be aware of. The final meeting of the World Motor Sport Council signed off on the ratification of rule revisions this week in Uzbekistan.
Headline changes include how practice sessions work and wet-weather controls, while stewards in F2 and F3 can take another look at their decisions and make U-turns if deemed necessary. The Sporting rulebook is where the majority of new changes have been made, including to Sprint weekend practice sessions.
New FIA documents state that if a red flag interruption happens before the 45-minute mark has elapsed, the session can be extended to match the time lost.
Similarly, in wet-weather conditions, race directors now have the authority to increase the maximum distance between the Safety Car and the leader to 20 car lengths.
Clarifications to the suspension of the starting procedure and resumption procedure have been made, in addition to new financial regulations, which state that activities related to academy programmes are now excluded from the budget cap.
With 2026 cars racing with active aerodynamics, such modes have been overhauled for wet-weather conditions.
This includes an increase to the safety margin and modes of ‘partial activation’ can be declared by the race director. They can also disable full activation of active aerodynamics in conditions of low grip.
Areas of activation, similar to DRS zones, will be communicated to teams over a month ahead of each race.
The General Assembly also signed off on amendments to the International Sporting Code, including a community service punishment, which has been handed out to Max Verstappen previously, now refers to work in the interest of motorsport.
At the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen was punished for swearing and subsequently worked with the Rwanda Automobile Club on a grassroots development program for junior drivers.
While in F2 and F3, stewards can now re-examine their decisions on their own initiative, if they “discover a significant and relevant new element”, allowing for potential U-turns.
The FIA has also created a ‘Fit and Proper Person Test’ in order to protect the integrity of events, which will examine whether a person can be part of the body. Disqualifying conditions are being involved in bankruptcy proceedings, convictions of fraud or similar offences, or being subject to government sanctions.
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