Formula 1 Rules

Overview: Who makes the rules?

The Formula 1 World Championship is organised by the world motorsport governing body, the FIA. The FIA writes the rules, checks the cars and provides the officials at every race weekend. The exploitation rights (marketing, TV, calendar contracts) belong to the Formula One Group, referred to in the regulations as the “Commercial Rights Holder”.

Since 2026 the rulebook has had a new structure. It consists of six parts:

• Section A – General Provisions: championship, points, race numbers, licences, procedures and sanctions.
• Section B – Sporting Regulations: weekend schedule, start, Safety Car, penalties, tyres, component allocations, testing.
• Section C – Technical Regulations: dimensions, weight, aerodynamics, power unit, fuel, safety and crash tests.
• Section D and E – Financial Regulations: cost caps for teams (D) and power unit manufacturers (E).
• Section F – Operational Regulations: factory shutdowns, wind tunnel and CFD restrictions, dynos.

Above all this sits the FIA’s International Sporting Code (ISC) with its appendices, such as Appendix H (flags, circuit safety) and Appendix L (licences and conduct on track).

The key officials

• Race Director: runs the sessions, deploys the Safety Car or VSC, shows red flags and reports incidents.
• Stewards: an independent panel that investigates incidents and hands out penalties. Only a driver who is clearly wholly or predominantly to blame is penalised.
• Technical Delegate: checks that the cars comply with the regulations (scrutineering, weighing, parc fermé).
• They are joined by, among others, a safety delegate, a medical delegate and a sporting delegate, as well as the Safety Car driver.

Certain penalties cannot be appealed, for example time and drive-through penalties during the race or grid penalties for additional power unit components. Against other decisions, a team can lodge an appeal with the FIA International Court of Appeal or request a review if significant new evidence comes to light.

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What's new in 2026?

2026 brings the biggest rule change in many years. The key points at a glance:

• New power unit: roughly half of the power is now electric. The MGU-K electric motor delivers up to 350 kW (previously 120 kW), and the MGU-H on the turbocharger has been dropped.
• 100% sustainable fuel: the fuel may no longer come from fossil sources.
• No more DRS: instead there is active aerodynamics (Straight Mode and Corner Mode) and Overtake Mode for challengers within the detection gap.
• Smaller, lighter cars: wheelbase no more than 3400 mm (previously 3600 mm), 100 mm narrower, minimum weight around 768 kg (2025: 800 kg), narrower tyres.
• New aerodynamics: the large Venturi tunnels in the floor (the “ground effect” of 2022–2025) are history, with around 30% less downforce and significantly less drag.
• 22 cars: with Cadillac as the eleventh team, six drivers instead of five are eliminated in both Q1 and Q2.
• New start procedure: before the start lights, the grid position lights flash blue for five seconds (“pre-start”).
• Higher cost cap: US$215 million instead of 135 million – but more costs now count towards it.
• New rulebook format: the rules are divided into Sections A to F.

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Teams, drivers and super licence

Every team (called “F1 Team” or “Competitor” in the regulations) must enter with the FIA each year and take part in every race with two cars. A maximum of 24 cars is allowed; in 2026 there are 11 teams with 22 cars. A team may buy its power unit from another manufacturer – the car then carries both names, with the team's first.

Drivers and car numbers

• Every driver has a permanent car number between 1 and 99 of their own choosing (first come, first served). Number 17 is no longer issued; it is dedicated to Jules Bianchi, who died in 2015.
• The reigning world champion may race with number 1; their own number remains reserved for them.
• A driver who does not race for two seasons loses their number.
• A team may field no more than four different drivers in races during a season. Reserve drivers take over the regular driver's power unit and tyre allocation.
• So that a team's two cars can be told apart, one has a black and the other a fluorescent yellow camera above the driver's head.

Young drivers in practice

Each team must run a rookie in the first or second free practice session at two weekends per car – four outings per season in total. A rookie is anyone who has started no more than two Grands Prix.

Super licence

No one may race in a Formula 1 race without an FIA super licence. It is issued under Appendix L of the Sporting Code. Roughly speaking: a minimum age of 18, a valid driving licence, an international Grade A licence, enough super licence points from junior series (usually 40 points from the last three years, for example through strong results in Formula 2), at least 300 km of testing in a Formula 1 car and a passed rules test. For practice-only outings there is a separate “Free Practice” super licence with lower requirements.

Penalty points are also recorded on the super licence – more on this under Penalties.

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How a race weekend works

A season has at least 8 and at most 24 events. There are two formats: the standard weekend (“Standard Format” in the regulations) and the Sprint weekend (“Alternative Format”).

• There are two to three hours between FP1 and FP2; FP3 starts no earlier than 18 hours after the end of the second session.
• In practice, only the fastest lap counts. If times are equal, the driver who set it first is ahead.
• After each practice session, drivers still on track may do a practice start on the starting grid.
• A driver who has not taken part in any timed session may not start the race.
• Team personnel are subject to curfews: during set overnight hours before FP1 and before Saturday, mechanics may not be at the circuit.

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Qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3)

Qualifying decides the starting grid for the race. It is a knockout format in three segments, with a seven-minute break between each:

• New for 2026 Because 22 cars are on the grid, six drivers instead of five are eliminated in both Q1 and Q2. With 20 cars it would be five again, with 24 cars seven.
• Times are wiped at the start of each new segment – only the best lap in the respective segment counts.
• If times are equal, the driver who set it first is ahead.
• 107% rule: anyone slower than 107% of the fastest time in Q1 (or who sets no time at all) has not qualified. The stewards may still allow them to start, for example because of good practice times. The rule does not apply on a wet track.
• The lap must be completed in full across the finish line on the track. At the end of a segment, each driver may cross the line only once more – anyone who sees the chequered flag may still finish their current lap.
• Anyone who drives through a sector under double waved yellow flags loses that lap time.
• A driver who stops on track and receives outside assistance may not continue in that session.
• If qualifying is suspended, the lost time is made up. If it is cancelled altogether, the starting grid is usually decided by the championship standings.

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Sprint weekend

On some weekends there is an additional short race on Saturday, the Sprint. In return, FP2 and FP3 are dropped.

Sprint Qualifying

• On Friday, no earlier than two and a half hours after FP1. Same format as qualifying, but shorter: SQ1 12 min, SQ2 10 min, SQ3 8 min, with a seven-minute break between each.
• Here too, six drivers are eliminated in each of SQ1 and SQ2 in 2026.
• Tyre rules: in SQ1 and SQ2 only one new set of mediums may be used in each, in SQ3 one set of softs.

The Sprint

• Distance: the smallest number of laps exceeding 100 km. Time limit of one hour (with a suspension, no more than one and a half hours in total).
• No mandatory pit stop and no obligation to use two tyre compounds.
• Points for the top 8: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Points are only awarded if at least 50% of the distance has been completed.
• The Sprint result has no influence on the starting grid for the race – there is a separate qualifying session on Saturday afternoon for that.

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Race: distance, time limit, classification

• Distance: the smallest number of complete laps exceeding 305 km. Exception Monaco: more than 260 km.
• Time limit: if the distance has not been completed after two hours, the race ends at the end of the lap on which the two hours expire.
• Maximum duration with a suspension: the time spent under a red flag is added on, but a race may last no more than three hours in total.
• Laps behind the Safety Car or VSC count as normal race laps. If the race starts behind the Safety Car, it is shortened accordingly.
• Classification: the winner is the driver who completes the distance in the shortest time. All others are classified by laps completed and order across the finish line.
• 90% rule: anyone who has completed less than 90% of the winner’s laps (rounded down) is not classified – even if still running at the end.
• If the chequered flag is accidentally shown too early, the order at the end of the previous lap counts. If it is shown too late, the race is deemed to have ended when it should have ended.
• After the chequered flag, all cars go straight to parc fermé. Only the winner may celebrate briefly beforehand, for example with donuts – as long as it is safe and does not delay the podium ceremony.
• There is no refuelling during the race: from leaving the garage for the reconnaissance laps until the chequered flag, no fuel may be added or removed.

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Starting grid and start

Starting grid

• The starting grid is based on the qualifying result plus any grid penalties. The cars are staggered, with the rows 16 m apart.
• Grid penalties are added together. Anyone with a total penalty of more than 15 places starts at the very back (if there are several, in qualifying order).
• Drivers who did not qualify but are permitted to race start behind everyone else.
• The provisional grid is published two hours before the start, the final grid one hour before. If a car drops out later, its grid position remains empty.

Procedure before the start

1. 40 minutes before the formation lap, the pit exit opens for ten minutes. The drivers complete one or more reconnaissance laps and take up their grid position (for the Sprint: 30 minutes before, one lap).
2. Signals at 10, 5, 3 and 1 minute and 15 seconds. At 5 minutes all wheels must be fitted, otherwise a stop-and-go penalty follows. At one minute the engines are started; at 15 seconds all team personnel must have left the grid.
3. Green light: formation lap behind the pole sitter. Overtaking is forbidden, except to restore the original order. Practice starts are forbidden.
4. Back on the grid, the engines keep running. New for 2026 Once all cars have come to a stop, the lights at the grid positions flash blue for five seconds (“pre-start”) so that the drivers can bring their engines up to revs.
5. Then five red lights come on at one-second intervals. After a random delay they all go out – that is the start. The start is always from a standstill (standing start).

Jump start

From the third red light onwards, every car must be stationary, and when the lights go out the front tyres must not be over the lines of its grid position. A sensor in the car detects when it moves. For a jump start the stewards impose a 5- or 10-second time penalty, a drive-through penalty or a stop-and-go penalty.

Problems at the start

• A driver who stalls on the grid raises their arms. Marshals push the car into the pit lane, from where it may join the race after the start.
• Extra formation lap: for minor problems, a further lap follows and the race is shortened by one lap.
• Aborted start: for major problems everyone stays put, the procedure restarts at 10 minutes, again with one lap fewer.
• Anyone who causes one of these procedures must start from the pit lane.

Pit lane start

Cars that start from the pit lane include those that were worked on in parc fermé without permission, or that were removed from the grid too late. They line up at the end of the pit lane and may set off once the whole field has passed the pit exit after the start.

Start behind the Safety Car

If the track is too wet, Race Control can have the formation laps run behind the Safety Car, possibly with wet tyres mandatory. This is followed either by a normal standing start or by a rolling start: the race then begins when the leader crosses the line after the Safety Car has pulled in.

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Points system

Points are awarded to the top ten in the race and the top eight in the Sprint, for both the drivers’ and the constructors’ championship.

No more fastest lap point

From 2019 to 2024 there was a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race (if the driver finished in the top 10). This point has been abolished since 2025 and will not be awarded in 2026 either. The fastest lap is now just a statistic.

Shortened races

Points are only awarded if the leader has completed at least two full consecutive laps without a Safety Car or VSC. How many points are awarded depends on the distance completed:

In the Sprint, no points at all are awarded below 50% of the distance. If two cars share exactly the same position (“dead heat”), the points for both positions are added together and split.

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Flags and light signals

Flags are shown by the marshals. The same signals also appear on light panels around the track and on the steering wheel display – they mean the same thing everywhere.

Green

Track clear, the danger has passed. Also shown at the start of a session.

Yellow, single waved

Danger beside or on the track: slow down, no overtaking, be prepared to take avoiding action. The stewards expect visibly earlier braking.

Yellow, double waved

Great danger, such as marshals on the track: slow down significantly, be prepared to stop, no overtaking. In qualifying, the lap is deleted.

Red

Session suspended: no overtaking, return slowly to the pit lane.

Blue

A faster car about to lap you is behind you – let it past at the next opportunity. At the pit exit, it warns of traffic on the track.

White

Slow vehicle ahead, for example a recovery vehicle or the Medical Car.

Yellow and red stripes

Slippery surface, for example due to oil, water or debris.

Black and white diagonal

Warning for unsporting behaviour, often after repeatedly exceeding track limits. Shown together with the car number.

Black with orange disc

Technical problem endangering you or others (e.g. loose parts): pit immediately.

Black

Disqualification: the driver with the number shown must pit immediately and may not continue.

Black and white chequered

Chequered flag: end of the session.

Other signals: boards showing “SC” (Safety Car) together with yellow flags, “VSC” on the light panels, red and green lights at the pit exit (you may only leave on green) and a blue light at the rear of the car during tests without a super licence driver. In the wet, the red rear lights must stay on permanently.

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Safety Car

The Safety Car is deployed when drivers or marshals are in immediate danger but a suspension is not necessary. It goes out onto the track immediately, regardless of where the leader is.

• All cars must slow down and line up behind the Safety Car, no more than ten car lengths apart (up to 20 in poor visibility). Until the second time they cross the Safety Car line, a minimum time per sector set by the ECU applies – anyone going too fast is penalised.
• No overtaking – with exceptions, such as when entering the pits or when a car is clearly in trouble.
• Cars may only enter the pits to change tyres. A pit stop under the Safety Car costs much less time than under green – which is why many teams stop at this point.
• Lapped cars: if Race Control considers it safe, lapped cars may overtake the field and the Safety Car and rejoin at the back (“Lapped cars may now overtake”). The Safety Car then normally comes in one lap later.
• End: “Safety Car in this lap” – the orange lights go out. From now on the leader dictates the pace and may drop back, but nobody may pull alongside another car. Overtaking is only allowed again from the finish line.
• Under the Safety Car, Overtake Mode is disabled; it is only re-enabled once all cars have crossed the finish line after the restart.
• If the Safety Car is still out on the final lap, it pulls off and the field drives to the chequered flag without overtaking.

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Virtual Safety Car (VSC)

The Virtual Safety Car is used when double waved yellow flags are needed but a real Safety Car would be excessive – for example to recover a stranded car.

• All light panels show “VSC”. Everyone slows down so that they do not go below a set minimum time in any sector. This keeps the gaps between the cars roughly the same.
• Overtaking is forbidden. In the race, cars may only pit to change tyres.
• “VSC ending”: after 10 to 15 seconds the panels switch to green and racing resumes immediately.
• The VSC can also be used in practice and qualifying.
• VSC laps count as race laps.

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Red flag, suspension and restart

In the event of a serious crash, damaged barriers or too much rain, Race Control suspends the race with the red flag.

• No overtaking; all cars drive slowly into the pit lane and line up in the fast lane.
• The clock keeps running: the suspension is added to the two-hour limit, up to a maximum total duration of three hours.
• During the stoppage, the following are allowed: changing tyres, repairing accident damage, adjusting cooling openings and changing the front wing. Because the tyre change is “free”, a red flag can turn a race upside down.
• The restart order is taken from the last point at which it was established for all cars.
• Restart: at least ten minutes’ warning, then laps behind the Safety Car (lapped cars may first unlap themselves) followed by a standing restart from the starting grid or a rolling restart.
• If the race cannot be resumed, the order at the end of the penultimate lap before the suspension counts.

In practice and qualifying, red also means: return slowly to the pits. In qualifying, the lost time is made up.

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Pit stops and the pit lane

• Speed limit: 80 km/h all weekend. Race Control can change it (tight circuits such as Monaco run at 60 km/h). In practice and qualifying, every km/h over the limit costs 100 euros (up to a maximum of 1000 euros); in the race there is a time, drive-through or stop-and-go penalty.
• The pit lane has an inner lane (the working area in front of the garages) and a fast lane. Work may only be carried out in the inner lane at the team's own pit box.
• Reversing under engine power is prohibited. Cars may not be lifted with powered jacks.
• All mechanics working on the car during a pit stop wear helmets and safety glasses.
• During the race, tyres in the pit lane may not be kept under tyre blankets – the blankets must be removed before the wheels are carried to the pit box.
• There is no mandatory pit stop as such. However, because two different tyre compounds must be used in a dry race, in reality everyone stops at least once (see Tyres).

Unsafe release

A team may not send its car out of the pit box in a way that endangers other cars, mechanics or personnel – for example, directly into the path of another car in the pit lane. This is known as an unsafe release and is penalised by the stewards. If a car is released in an unsafe condition during the race, for example with a wheel not properly fastened, it receives a stop-and-go penalty; in practice or qualifying, a grid penalty. A driver who carries on despite knowing their car is unsafe receives an additional penalty.

Pit lane closed

In exceptional cases, Race Control can close the pit entry. Cars may then only enter for urgent, obvious repairs – otherwise a stop-and-go penalty may be imposed in the race.

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Tyres

Pirelli is the sole tyre supplier. In 2026 Pirelli has five dry compounds in its range, from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest). Three of them are selected for each weekend and designated Hard (white), Medium (yellow) and Soft (red). On top of these come intermediates (green, for a damp track) and wets (blue, for heavy rain). New for 2026 The tyres are narrower: 25 mm at the front, 30 mm at the rear.

Tyre sets per driver

• A set consists of four tyres of the same compound. After qualifying, sets of the same compound may be mixed.
• Over the weekend, teams must return used sets at fixed times, so that only some are left for the race. One set of the softest compound is reserved for Q3, and two sets of the mandatory compound(s) for the race.
• At some weekends Pirelli tests additional prototype tyres in practice; slightly different numbers then apply.

Race requirement

If the race is dry, every driver must use at least two different dry compounds, including at least one of the mandatory compounds nominated in advance. Anyone who fails to do so is disqualified. If the race is suspended and not resumed, a 30-second time penalty applies instead. Anyone who uses intermediates or wets in the race is exempt from this requirement.

Since 2022, drivers no longer have to start the race on the tyres they used in Q2 – the choice is free.

Wet tyres

In practice, intermediates and wets may only be used once Race Control has declared the track wet. If the race starts or runs behind the Safety Car in very wet conditions with wet tyres mandatory, wets (blue) must be used until the Safety Car pulls in.

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Overtaking, defending, track limits

Defending

The basic rules of driving are set out in Appendix L of the Sporting Code:

• Only one change of direction is allowed when defending. A driver who then moves back towards the racing line must leave at least one car's width between themselves and the edge of the track.
• Dangerous manoeuvres are prohibited: deliberately forcing an opponent off the track, crowding them, unexpected changes of direction, blocking or deliberately causing collisions.
• A driver who is alongside another car is usually entitled to space in the corner. How far “alongside” is enough is decided by the stewards on the basis of guidelines – for example, whether the attacker's front axle is at least level with the defender at the apex.
• Nobody may drive unnecessarily slowly, erratically or dangerously – not even on the in-lap or in the pit lane.
• In qualifying, drivers must not unnecessarily hold up other drivers on fast laps (“impeding”) – this usually results in grid penalties.

Track limits

The white lines at the edge are part of the track; the kerbs are not. A car has left the track when no part of it is still touching the track – put simply: all four wheels beyond the white line.

• Lap times set while leaving the track are usually deleted in practice and qualifying.
• In the race, several offences first lead to the black-and-white warning flag, then time penalties. The race director sets out exactly how they are counted in his notes before each weekend.
• A driver who gains a lasting advantage off the track (e.g. gains a position) must give it back or will be penalised. Race Control can explicitly allow the position to be handed back.

Collisions

In collisions, the stewards examine whether a driver was wholly or predominantly to blame. Only then is a penalty imposed, usually 5 or 10 seconds plus penalty points. “Racing incidents” with no clear culprit go unpunished.

A car with severe damage or a fault that endangers or obstructs others must leave the track safely as quickly as possible. A driver who parks their car must leave it in neutral, switch off the hybrid system and refit the steering wheel.

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Overtake Mode, Boost and active aerodynamics

New for 2026 DRS (the flap in the rear wing for challengers, 2011–2025) no longer exists. It has been replaced by three tools:

Active aerodynamics: Straight Mode and Corner Mode

• The front and rear wings have adjustable elements. In Corner Mode (the default) they are closed and generate downforce for the corners.
• In Straight Mode they are flattened: less drag, higher top speed. This is allowed on designated sections (Activation Zones, marked with signs at the trackside) for all drivers on every lap – regardless of the gap.
• The FIA sets the zones for each circuit. In low-grip conditions (“Low Grip Conditions”, e.g. rain) only the front wing may be flattened.

Overtake Mode

• Every circuit has a Detection Line (a yellow line across the track). A driver who is less than the set gap – the Detection Gap, around one second – behind another car at that point gets Overtake Mode for the next lap.
• In Overtake Mode the car may deploy more electrical power at high speed (power is only fully cut at around 355 instead of 345 km/h) and recover an additional 0.5 megajoules of energy per lap.
• After the start (and after every restart) it is disabled until the leader has crossed the Detection Line for the first time. It is also switched off under the Safety Car and in low-grip conditions. In practice and qualifying it is available at all times.

Boost

With the Boost button, the driver can deploy maximum power from the combustion engine and battery at any time – to attack, defend or for a fast lap. The energy for this must have been harvested beforehand, for example under braking or by lifting off early.

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Penalties

Penalties are imposed by the stewards, not the race director. For offences in the race and Sprint, the following penalties are available to them:

• A 5- or 10-second penalty does not have to be served in the pits: if the driver does not stop again before the end, the seconds are simply added to their time.
• Drive-through and stop-and-go penalties may not be served under the Safety Car or VSC. If they are issued in the last three laps or after the race, 20 or 30 seconds respectively are added.
• If a driver can no longer serve their penalty because of a retirement, they may receive a grid penalty at the next race.
• In practice and qualifying there are no time penalties, but deleted lap times or grid penalties instead.
• Teams can be fined, for example for speeding in the pit lane during practice.

Reprimands

A driver who collects five reprimands in a season, at least four of them for driving offences, receives a grid penalty of ten places on the fifth occasion.

Penalty points on the super licence

In addition to a penalty, the stewards can award penalty points (not for reprimands or fines). They expire after twelve months. A driver who collects twelve points within twelve months is banned for the next race weekend; the twelve points are then cleared.

Grid penalties for technical reasons

A driver who uses more power unit components than allowed is moved back on the starting grid (see Power Unit). Anyone who works on the car in parc fermé without permission starts from the pit lane.

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Technical: car and power unit

The technical regulations (Section C) run to more than 250 pages. The key points for 2026:

Dimensions and weight

• New for 2026 Wheelbase of no more than 3400 mm (2022–2025: 3600 mm), width 1900 mm instead of 2000 mm.
• New for 2026 Minimum weight of around 768 kg without fuel (2025: 800 kg). Formally: 724 kg plus the average weight of the dry tyres as measured by Pirelli, or 726 kg plus tyres in qualifying. When a heat hazard is declared, the weight of the driver cooling system is added.
• In qualifying the weight distribution must be correct: at least 44% on the front axle and 54% on the rear axle.
• Ballast is allowed but must be firmly bolted in place. Cars may be weighed after every session.

Aerodynamics

• New for 2026 The floor is flatter and the large Venturi tunnels of 2022–2025 are gone. According to the FIA, downforce drops by around 30% and drag falls significantly.
• The front and rear wings are simpler and movable (Straight Mode / Corner Mode, see above). The adjustment is controlled by the FIA's standard control unit.
• The front wheel covers are gone; new deflectors are designed to steer turbulent air away from the following car.
• Under the car sits a plank (10 mm thick) that may wear down to no less than 8 mm – this stops cars from running too low. If it is too thin, the car faces disqualification.
• Wings and floor may only flex within tight limits under load; the FIA checks this with load tests.

Gearbox

• Exactly eight forward gears; continuously variable transmissions are banned.
• Gear ratios must be set in advance; in 2026 they may be changed once during the season.
• The 2026 Sporting Regulations (Article B8) only set allocations for power unit components; the current version contains no separate gearbox allocation with grid penalties as there was until 2025.

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Power unit and component allocations

In the regulations the engine is called the power unit. It consists of the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, electric motor, battery and electronics. New for 2026 are above all the electrical elements:

• Internal combustion engine (ICE): 1.6-litre turbocharged V6, 80 mm bore, around 400 kW of power.
• MGU-K: electric motor on the crankshaft, up to 350 kW (previously 120 kW). It provides drive and recovers energy under braking. At very high speeds the electrical power is automatically reduced.
• MGU-H scrapped: the expensive generator on the turbocharger (2014–2025) is gone.
• Energy recovery: up to 8.5 megajoules per lap (the FIA can set lower values for each circuit). The usable charge window of the battery is limited to 4 megajoules.
• Fuel: 100% “Advanced Sustainable Fuel” – from non-fossil sources such as waste, or produced synthetically. The limit is no longer on fuel quantity per hour but on the amount of energy (no more than 3000 MJ per hour).
• All engine manufacturers (2026: Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Ford) must have their power units homologated by the FIA; the homologation runs until the end of 2030.

How many components per season?

Each figure includes one extra component, which everyone receives in 2026 because of the new engines. From 2027 only manufacturers in their first year will get this extra.

• The first additional component of a type costs ten grid positions, each further one five. Penalties are cumulative; more than 15 places means starting from the back of the grid.
• A component counts as used as soon as the car leaves the pit lane with it. All components are sealed by the FIA.
• If a team fits several identical components over one weekend, it may only continue to use the last one fitted without a new penalty.

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Safety: Halo and crash tests

• Halo: the hoop above the cockpit (mandatory since 2018) protects the driver's head from debris and rollovers. It is built to an FIA standard by a small number of approved manufacturers and must withstand enormous loads.
• Survival cell (monocoque): the carbon-fibre chassis must pass a series of crash and load tests: frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, tests of the roll structures, the steering column and the headrest, as well as penetration tests of the side panels.
• New for 2026 The roll hoop behind the driver must withstand an impact of 20 g instead of 16 g; the nose has a two-stage structure so that it can also absorb a second impact.
• Equipment: fireproof clothing, helmet and HANS device are mandatory. Wheels are secured with tethers so that they do not come loose in accidents. Every car carries an on-board fire extinguisher.
• Accident warning: after heavy accidents a warning light indicates that the driver must be examined by a doctor immediately.
• Heat: if extreme heat is expected, a driver cooling system must be fitted (see Weather).

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Parc fermé

Parc fermé (French for “closed park”) means the car is “frozen”. From the moment it first leaves the garage in qualifying until the start of the race, practically nothing about the set-up may be changed. On a Sprint weekend this applies from Sprint Qualifying until the start of the Sprint, and then again from qualifying until the race.

• Only routine work is allowed, such as refuelling, tyre changes, brake cooling, front wing adjustments or repairs approved by the technical delegate – and only using parts of the same design.
• Six times per season a team may replace a wing, rear end or floor after accident damage with a different version that has already been raced.
• Every car has its own FIA scrutineer and a camera above the car in the garage.
• Penalty: anyone who breaks the rules must take a pit lane start.
• If a “Rain Hazard” is declared for a race, additional wet-weather adjustments are allowed.
• After the race all classified cars drive into a cordoned-off area where they are weighed and checked. The drivers remain in full race gear until they have been weighed.

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Rain, heat and low grip

• Rain Hazard: if the probability of rain for the race is above 40% (or the race director decides so), a rain warning is issued no later than two hours before qualifying. Teams may then make additional wet-weather adjustments in parc fermé.
• Heat Hazard: if a heat index above 31 °C is forecast for the Sprint or the race, a heat warning is declared 24 hours in advance. A driver cooling system must then be fitted, and the minimum weight increases accordingly.
• New for 2026 Low Grip Conditions: the race director can declare “low grip”. Overtake Mode is then disabled, only the front wing may switch to Straight Mode, and electrical power is partly restricted.
• In heavy rain, starts can take place behind the Safety Car, the race can be stopped with a red flag, and the Safety Car may extend the gap to 20 car lengths.
• In wet conditions the 107% rule does not apply in qualifying, and the requirement to use two dry compounds no longer applies once intermediate or wet tyres are used.

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Cost cap

Since 2021 teams have only been allowed to spend a fixed amount per year. New for 2026 the limit is 215 million US dollars (2025: 135 million).

• The cap applies to up to 24 races. For each additional race 1.8 million US dollars are added, and it is adjusted for inflation.
• Items not included are, among others: drivers' salaries, the salaries of the three highest-paid employees, marketing, interest and taxes, and costs for heritage cars.
• Teams must disclose their spending every year and have it audited.
• Minor overspend (under 2%): a fine and possible sporting penalties.
• Material overspend (2% or more): a points deduction in the Constructors' Championship, a fine and further penalties. New for 2026 Until 2025 the threshold was 5%.
• The engine manufacturers also have their own cap, around 130 million US dollars in 2026.

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Testing, wind tunnel and factory shutdowns

Testing

• Before the 2026 season: one private test in January (five days, three of them running days per team) and two public tests of three days each. Each team may only run one car per day.
• After the season: one test day at the venue of the final race – one car for tyre testing for the following season, one for young drivers with no more than two Grands Prix.
• On top of that come tyre tests organised by Pirelli (up to 40 car days in total) and one test day when a team brings in a new race driver.
• Testing with older cars is only allowed under strict conditions.

Wind tunnel and computer simulation (ATR)

The Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions limit how much work a team may do in the wind tunnel and with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The year is divided into six testing periods. The higher a team sits in the Constructors' standings, the less it is allowed to test:

• Per testing period, 100% corresponds to 320 wind tunnel runs, 80 hours of wind-on time and 400 hours of occupancy, plus 2000 new geometries in simulation.
• Models may be no larger than 60% of full scale. Each team may only use one wind tunnel.
• For the first three periods the previous year's championship position counts, after that the current standings. New teams receive 115%.

Factory shutdowns

Every team must halt all development and production work for 14 days in a row in the summer (July/August) and for nine days from 24 December – no wind tunnel, no simulation, no parts manufacturing.

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Championships and tie-breaks

• Drivers' championship: The world champion is the driver with the most points from races and Sprints at the end of the season. There are no dropped scores.
• Constructors' championship: The points of both cars of a team are added together. The title goes to the team (i.e. the chassis), even if it runs a customer engine.
• Only races that actually took place count. A race can be cancelled if fewer than twelve cars are available.

Tie-breaks

If two drivers or teams finish level on points, the decision goes to:

1. the greater number of wins,
2. then the greater number of second places,
3. then third places, and so on,
4. and if there is still a tie, the same calculation using qualifying results.

The champions are honoured at the FIA gala at the end of the season; the top three in the Drivers' championship must attend.

You can find the current standings under Standings and all dates in the Calendar.

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Glossary: terms from A to Z

107 per cent rule

Anyone more than 7% slower than the fastest time in Q1 is not automatically allowed to start.

Activation Zone

Section of track where Straight Mode is permitted.

ATR

Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions – limits on wind tunnel and CFD use depending on championship position.

Boost

Button for maximum power from the combustion engine and battery.

CFD

Computational Fluid Dynamics – computer simulation of airflow.

Corner Mode

Standard high-downforce wing setting for corners.

Cost Cap

Cost cap, set at US$215 million in 2026.

Detection Gap / Detection Line

Gap and measuring line that determine eligibility for Overtake Mode.

Dirty Air

Turbulent air behind a car that robs the following car of downforce.

DNF / DNS / DSQ

Did not finish / did not start / disqualified.

DRS

Drag Reduction System – adjustable rear wing flap for the following car until 2025, abolished in 2026.

Drive-Through

Drive-through penalty via the pit lane.

ERS

Energy Recovery System – the hybrid system made up of the MGU-K and battery.

Fast Lane

Fast lane of the pit lane, where no work may be carried out.

Formation Lap

Formation lap before the start.

Grid

Starting grid.

Halo

Titanium hoop over the cockpit to protect the driver's head.

ICE

Internal Combustion Engine – the combustion engine.

Intermediates

Green-marked tyres for damp or drying tracks.

Low Grip Conditions

Low-grip conditions declared by the race director, e.g. in the rain.

MGU-K

Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic: electric motor that drives the car and recovers energy under braking.

Overcut / Undercut

Strategy: pitting later (overcut) or earlier (undercut) than a rival in order to get ahead.

Overtake Mode

Additional electrical power for drivers within the Detection Gap; replaces DRS.

Parc fermé

Period or area in which no more work may be done on the car.

Pole Position

Grid position 1 for the fastest driver in qualifying.

Power Unit

The complete drivetrain of combustion engine, turbo, electric motor, battery and electronics.

Reprimand

Warning issued by the stewards.

Rookie

Newcomer with no more than two Grand Prix starts.

Safety Car (SC)

Lead vehicle that slowly leads the field when there is danger.

Stewards

Panel that decides on penalties.

Stint

Part of a race between two pit stops.

Stop-and-Go

Penalty: stand still in the pit box for 10 seconds with no work on the car.

Straight Mode

Flat, low-drag wing setting for straights.

Track Limits

Track boundaries defined by the white lines.

Unsafe Release

Dangerous release of a car from the pit box.

VSC

Virtual Safety Car – neutralisation using set minimum times instead of a real lead car.

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