World Title and Continental Championships

Proposed regulatory framework

These Regulations govern eligibility, championship administration, event procedures and sporting conduct under the Formula One Organization framework. They apply to the World Title and all eight Continental Championships, subject to the express distinctions below. FOO administers the championships. The FIA retains independent authority over safety.

Article 1 General principles

1.1 Championship administration

1.1.1        The Formula One Organization (FOO) is the participant-governed body responsible for the World Title. Each Continental Championship is administered by its own Continental FOO. In these Regulations, FOO means the body responsible for the Championship concerned unless the context expressly identifies the World Title FOO.

1.1.2        Each FOO shall be governed by an assembly representing its registered constructors and eligible suppliers. It shall have no external commercial shareholder entitled to distributions from the Championship. This restriction concerns ownership of FOO and does not prohibit ownership of individual teams or suppliers.

1.1.3        FOO shall administer commercial rights, income distribution, entries, calendars, sporting rules and non-safety technical rules. It may employ professional staff and appoint representatives accountable to the assembly. Assembly members shall not decide individual protests, incidents or penalties involving competitors.

1.1.4        Each eligible independent participant shall have one vote, regardless of the number of cars entered or customers supplied. A business acting in more than one capacity shall not receive additional votes. Entities under common control shall be treated as one voting group. Conflicts of interest shall be declared and recorded.

1.1.5        A rule change within FOO’s remit requires affirmative votes from at least 51% of all eligible voting members, rounded up to a whole vote. Abstention does not count as approval. Where a member is formally excluded from a decision because of a conflict, the published voting record shall state the adjusted eligible electorate. The assembly shall not proceed unless at least 51% of the eligible electorate participates.

1.1.6        FOO shall publish approved amendments, reasons and effective dates. Rules shall not be applied retrospectively to conduct that was compliant when it occurred. Changes affecting common technical standards require approval by every affected FOO before taking effect in that Championship; safety requirements remain subject to FIA authority.

1.2 Independent safety authority

1.2.1        The FIA shall establish and enforce safety requirements for cars, circuits, equipment, medical provision and track operations. FOO shall not waive, delay or overrule a binding FIA safety requirement for sporting or commercial reasons.

1.2.2        The FIA shall appoint its safety and medical delegates and shall approve persons exercising safety functions. Safety inspections shall take place at every Competition. The FIA may require immediate precautionary measures, including stopping a car or session, where continued operation is unsafe.

1.2.3        FOO shall appoint independent sporting officials and a technical compliance delegate. The FIA shall appoint or approve the personnel responsible for safety scrutineering. The same appropriately qualified person may perform both technical functions, provided the report distinguishes sporting conformity from safety findings and the applicable authority remains clear.

1.2.4        The Race Director shall implement binding FIA safety instructions and exercise immediate operational control. Sporting consequences shall be determined by the stewards under these Regulations. A sporting appeal shall not authorise an unsafe car or venue to operate while a safety restriction remains in force.

1.3 Applicable instruments

1.3.1        The regulatory framework comprises these Sporting Regulations, the applicable Technical Regulations, the Financial Regulations, the FOO governance constitution, the FOO judicial procedures and the published Championship and event appendices. Safety standards and licence conditions issued or adopted by the FIA apply within its remit.

1.3.2        The FIA International Sporting Code applies only to the extent expressly incorporated in a published FOO instrument or required for FIA safety approval and licensing. A generic reference to that Code shall not override an express sporting rule in this document or transfer FOO’s commercial and sporting responsibilities to the FIA.

1.3.3        Binding safety requirements take priority where safety is affected. These Sporting Regulations govern sporting procedure; the Technical Regulations govern car conformity; the Financial Regulations govern financial compliance. The specific provision applicable to a subject takes precedence over a general provision. Officials shall refer an unresolved conflict to the competent authority and publish a reasoned interpretation.

1.3.4        Event instructions may implement these Regulations but shall not change points, eligibility or other substantive rules. Urgent safety instructions may take immediate effect. Any consequential sporting decision shall be published and subject to the applicable review procedure.

1.4 General undertakings

1.4.1        Every competitor, driver, supplier and official shall comply with the applicable Regulations. A competitor is responsible for the conduct of its employees, contractors and other persons acting on its behalf in connection with its entry.

1.4.2        Each competitor shall nominate a team representative authorised to receive communications and act on its behalf. A replacement representative shall be notified to FOO in writing before assuming the role.

1.4.3        Competitors shall ensure that their cars meet the applicable eligibility, technical and safety requirements throughout a Competition and during any authorised testing. Permission to participate does not relieve a competitor of this responsibility.

1.4.4        Terms referring to persons apply without distinction of gender. Unless otherwise stated, a deadline is measured in the official local time of the event or, for Championship administration, the time zone published by FOO.

Article 2 Definitions

2.1 Championships and events

2.1.1        World Title means the Formula One World Title Championship for drivers and constructors. Continental Championship means the corresponding regional competition in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania or South America.

2.1.2        A Competition is an event listed on the applicable Championship calendar. It begins two hours before the scheduled start of FP1 and ends when the protest period has expired and all event scrutineering is complete, whichever is later. Disciplinary, appeal, financial and confidentiality obligations may continue after that time.

2.1.3        A season is the sequence of Competitions identified in the published Championship calendar, including a calendar that spans two calendar years. Championship means either the World Title or a Continental Championship as applicable.

2.1.4        The Line is the control line used for timing, lap counting and the start or finish as identified in the event instructions. The first and second safety car lines define the relevant pit-entry and pit-exit boundaries for neutralisation procedures.

2.2 Competitors and constructors

2.2.1        Competitor and team mean the legal entity accepted by FOO to enter one or two cars. A World Title constructor shall hold responsibility for the design and intellectual property of its chassis and aerodynamic components, as specified in the Technical Regulations. It may subcontract work without transferring that responsibility or obtaining another World Title competitor’s protected design unlawfully.

2.2.2        A Continental competitor may purchase chassis, aerodynamic components and other permitted systems. Its registered team identity shall determine the recipient of constructor points and titles, even when it does not manufacture the chassis. Component manufacturers shall be identified separately in the entry records.

2.2.3        Supplier means an entity registered to provide a regulated component or service. Manufacturer means the entity responsible for the design and supply of the relevant product. Related entities and entities under common control shall be treated together when applying supplier restrictions or anti-circumvention provisions.

2.2.4        A World Title car shall be entered under its constructor’s name followed by the primary propulsion make where different. A Continental car shall be entered under its team name, with chassis and primary propulsion makes recorded by FOO. For a combustion car, the primary propulsion make is its engine make; other or combined architectures shall identify their principal propulsion manufacturers in accordance with the Technical Regulations. Purchasing a component does not transfer the team’s points or title to the supplier.

2.3 Officials and sessions

2.3.1        The stewards are the independent officials responsible for sporting findings and penalties. The Race Director controls track operations; the Clerk of the Course directs local implementation under the Race Director’s authority. The technical compliance delegate reports car conformity; FIA delegates exercise the safety and medical responsibilities assigned to them.

2.3.2        FP1 is the scheduled free-practice session. Q1, Q2 and Q3 are the successive qualifying phases. Warm-up is the race-day session for qualified drivers. Qualifying includes all three phases unless a provision states otherwise.

2.3.3        Operational personnel are persons performing engineering, mechanical, sporting or technical work on an entered car at the Competition. A person’s actual duties determine their status, not their job title or employer.

Article 3 Championships and administration

3.1 Competition format and distance

3.1.1        Competitions are reserved for cars complying with the applicable Formula One Technical Regulations. A driver and team may participate only in the Championship for which their entry is accepted. World Title teams shall not enter a Continental Championship directly or through a controlled works entry.

3.1.2        Each Competition shall normally occupy two days: FP1 and qualifying on Saturday, followed by warm-up and the race on Sunday. FOO may adjust local session times for broadcast and operational reasons, subject to the minimum intervals and FIA safety requirements.

3.1.3        The scheduled race distance shall be the smallest whole number of laps reaching at least 250 km. Any reduction caused by extra formation laps shall be recorded before the race start. The original scheduled distance remains the denominator for the interrupted-race points calculation.

3.1.4        The racing-time limit is two hours. The racing clock starts at the race-start signal, runs during VSC and post-start safety-car laps, stops during a red-flag suspension and resumes with the restart procedure. A separate elapsed-time limit of six hours starts at the initial race-start signal and includes all suspensions.

3.1.5        If the two-hour racing limit expires before the scheduled distance is completed, the finish signal shall be shown when the leader completes the lap following the lap in which that limit expired. The six-hour elapsed limit is absolute: no restart shall take place after it expires; if the race is running, it shall finish at the leader’s first subsequent crossing of the Line. If suspended, the non-resumption classification shall apply.

3.1.6        FOO may cancel a Competition if fewer than 12 cars are available. The Race Director and FIA safety delegate may prevent running whenever the available facilities or conditions are unsafe, irrespective of the number of cars.

3.2 Calendars and circuit allocation

3.2.1        The World Title calendar shall contain 40 Competitions. The regional programme and World Title allocation are set out below. Amendments to a future season require the applicable FOO approval and publication before entries close, except for unavoidable event cancellation or safety substitution.

Region	Geographical entries	Database circuits	Continental races	World Title races
Africa	31	45	32	6
Asia	24	51	27	6
Caribbean	13	13	13	2
Europe	40	101	36	13
Middle East	17	17	17	3
North America	6	39	20	4
Oceania	7	17	17	2
South America	17	36	21	4
Total	155	319	183	40

3.2.2        Database figures include proposed venues and do not certify construction or safety approval. Calendar places shall be allocated to countries or designated geographical entries, with eligible circuits rotating. The maximum is eight circuits per country, except the United States, which has East, Central and West allocation areas with up to eight circuits each. These are geographical allocation areas, not literal time zones.

3.2.3        Regional groupings and geographical divisions serve calendar planning and logistics only. They express no political position on sovereignty, borders or territorial status. North America’s six entries include the three United States allocation areas.

3.2.4        Continental allocations shall follow these rules: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East receive one race per country, with two for a country having more than four registered eligible circuits. Europe receives two races for a country with more than five circuits, one race for a country with two to five circuits, and one race every two seasons for a country with one circuit, alternating with other such countries. Oceania receives one race per circuit. South America receives one race per national entry, with three for an entry having more than four circuits.

3.2.5        North America’s 20 races comprise 12 in the United States, divided equally between East, Central and West, four in Canada, three in Mexico and one in Greenland.

3.2.6        The World Title regional allocations in the table are fixed for the published programme. Circuit availability informs future allocation reviews, but the figures shall not be recalculated automatically during a season. Guaranteed national places are: South Africa one; China, Japan and Russia one each; Spain, France, Italy, Germany and England one each; United States two; Canada and Mexico one each; Australia one; Brazil and Argentina one each. Other places shall rotate within the region.

3.2.7        Within a country, no eligible circuit shall receive a second allocated event in the rotation before the other eligible circuits have received their first, unless a circuit is unavailable or fails approval. FOO shall publish the rotation register, including World Title and Continental events, reasons for exceptions and the treatment of different approved layouts at one venue. A layout shall not be counted twice to increase a national allocation unless separately registered under the published database criteria.

3.2.8        The seasonal calendar shall specify dates, venues, national allocations and any approved exceptions. New venues or entries may be considered for subsequent seasons. A database update alone shall not alter the current calendar or waive event approval.

3.3 Titles and championship points

3.3.1        Each Championship shall award separate drivers’ and constructors’ titles. All events actually held shall count. A driver scores the points awarded to that driver; a constructor entering two cars scores the sum of both cars’ points. A constructor entering one car scores only that car’s points. There is no averaging or compensating multiplier.

Classified position	Points
1	25
2	18
3	14
4	11
5	9
6	7
7	5
8	3
9	2
10	1

3.3.2        One additional point shall be awarded for the fastest valid race lap to the driver and that driver’s constructor. The driver must be classified in the race but need not finish in the top ten. If valid fastest laps are identical, the point shall be shared equally. A lap recorded under neutralisation shall not qualify for this award.

3.3.3        If a race cannot be resumed, no points shall be awarded when the leader has completed 25% or less of the original scheduled distance, half points when more than 25% but less than 75% has been completed, and full points when at least 75% has been completed. At least one lap of racing outside neutralisation must have been completed. The same multiplier applies to the fastest-lap point.

3.3.4        A dead heat for a race position shall be resolved by adding the points and prizes for the tied positions and dividing them equally. The next classified position shall follow the number of tied competitors.

3.3.5        A tie in Championship points shall be resolved in order by the greater number of race wins, then podium finishes, then pole positions, then fastest valid race laps. For constructors, each measure is the sum for their entered cars. If all measures remain equal, the competitors shall share the Championship position and, if first, the title. Monetary consequences shall follow the published Financial Regulations.

3.3.6        The top three drivers and the representatives of the top three constructors shall attend the relevant FOO annual prize-giving ceremony unless excused for medical reasons or force majeure.

3.4 Licences and driver eligibility

3.4.1        Race drivers shall hold the FIA competition licence and Formula One Super Licence accepted for the Championship. An FP1-only driver may use an FIA-authorised practice-only licence valid for that activity. Competitors shall hold the applicable entrant licence; officials shall hold qualifications appropriate to their functions. Officials and entrant entities are not required to hold a driver’s Super Licence.

3.4.2        The stewards may impose licence penalty points for driving offences in accordance with the published penalty schedule. Twelve active points trigger suspension from the driver’s next eligible Competition, after which the 12 points that triggered the suspension shall be removed. Other points remain active until 12 months after their imposition.

3.4.3        FOO shall maintain a common record across the World Title and Continental Championships so that a driver cannot avoid a suspension by changing series. Points and suspensions imposed under this framework shall be notified to the FIA for licensing action within its authority.

3.4.4        A Continental team shall be registered and have its principal racing operation in a country allocated to that region. Its drivers shall compete under a declared sporting nationality belonging to the same region, supported by licensing records. A nationality change during a season shall not be used to bypass eligibility. A country need not have a database circuit for its teams or drivers to qualify regionally.

3.4.5        Chassis and primary propulsion manufacturers may supply independent Continental teams but shall not operate or effectively control Continental works entries. World Title constructors may supply permitted components to independent Continental customers but shall not enter directly or through a controlled entry. Manufacturer status, effective control and permissible independent entrant manufacture shall be assessed under Technical Article 19. A Continental team shall not acquire a complete World Title car or coordinated complete package, including through related entities or nominally separate suppliers. The architecture-neutral core-group and package criteria in Technical Article 19 apply.

3.5 Entry applications and fees

3.5.1        Applications shall be submitted to FOO by 31 October before the calendar year in which the season opens. For the Caribbean and Middle East Championships, applications shall be submitted by 30 June before the relevant season opens. FOO shall publish accepted entries by 30 November, or 31 July for those two Championships.

3.5.2        An existing competitor’s entry fee shall be 8% of its constructor-classification prize allocation for the preceding season, excluding unrelated grants and commercial income. A new World Title competitor shall pay USD 2 million; a new Continental competitor shall pay USD 500,000. Fees shall be paid to FOO with the application. Where the preceding allocation is not final by the deadline, FOO shall invoice a provisional amount and reconcile it within 30 days after finalisation. A rejected applicant shall receive a refund, subject only to a published administrative charge.

3.5.3        The application shall identify the legal entrant, team representative, team name, chassis and primary propulsion makes, all nominated suppliers, driver or drivers, sporting nationalities and number of cars. It shall include an undertaking to observe the Regulations, attend every Competition with the entered cars, maintain required insurance and demonstrate financial eligibility.

3.5.4        Financial admission shall follow the Financial Regulations, including audited accounts, the permitted single deficit year in a rolling three-year period, the applicable deficit levy and exclusion following a second deficit year. Financial non-compliance shall not be waived through a discretionary entry decision.

3.5.5        FOO shall assess applications against published eligibility requirements and give written reasons for rejection. Sporting or disciplinary exclusion requires a reasoned independent decision and access to appeal. The FIA determines safety and licence approval within its remit; it does not determine commercial entry at unrestricted discretion.

3.5.6        There is no fixed commercial cap on Championship entries. Each competitor may enter one or two cars. Event participation remains subject to circuit capacity and the pre-qualification procedure.

3.6 Suppliers and changes of driver

3.6.1        Teams shall declare their tyre, primary propulsion, gearbox and brake suppliers before the season and retain them throughout it. A supplier change requires prior FOO approval based on verified withdrawal, inability to fulfil supply obligations or a safety problem confirmed by the FIA. A performance advantage or better commercial offer alone is not sufficient grounds.

3.6.2        The replacement supplier and equipment shall comply with the Regulations. FOO shall publish the reasons and any conditions of approval. Points already earned remain with the driver and constructor. No World Title constructor shall supply another World Title constructor with competition components or systems that it designs or manufactures, directly, through its control group or through a circumventing arrangement. The definition and independent-supplier exceptions in Technical Article 19 apply. Permitted supply to independent Continental customers is unaffected.

3.6.3        A team may change drivers without a numerical season limit, provided every replacement is eligible. Changes shall be completed before qualifying begins. A change after initial scrutineering requires the stewards’ consent and any necessary seat-fit, licence and safety checks. The new driver may score points in the normal manner.

3.6.4        Additional FP1 drivers shall be notified at least 24 hours before FP1, specifying car and driver numbers. Later changes require steward approval. Only the registered number of cars may run at any time. Where pre-qualification applies, an FP1-only driver shall not establish another driver’s right to qualify; the nominated race driver must record the required pre-qualification time.

3.7 Event approval and insurance

3.7.1        A promoter shall demonstrate FIA safety approval appropriate to the proposed cars and configuration, staffing, medical and recovery provision, pit and paddock capacity, spectator arrangements, ticketing plans and resources to stage the event. A database entry alone is insufficient.

3.7.2        The venue shall be available for preparation and inspection from seven days before the Grand Prix until three days after it, unless FOO and the FIA safety delegate approve a different arrangement. Other scheduled activities shall not compromise preparation, track condition or safety.

3.7.3        The promoter shall maintain third-party liability insurance meeting the published event requirements. This is additional to the insurance obligations of teams and individuals. The policy shall state the treatment of participants and inter-participant claims; insurance coverage shall not be presumed from entry alone.

3.7.4        No fixed hosting fee shall apply. The promoter shall pay FOO 40% of positive eligible event profit, calculated before that payment, and retain 60%. No contribution is due on a break-even or loss-making event. Definitions, verification and settlement shall follow the Financial Regulations; FOO is not automatically liable for promoter losses.

3.8 Officials and communications

3.8.1        FOO shall appoint three independent stewards, including a chair selected from an experienced former-driver panel and two suitably qualified officials nominated through the local sporting administration. No steward may act as a political representative, team representative or adjudicator of a matter in which they have a material conflict. A replacement shall be appointed where necessary.

3.8.2        FOO shall appoint the Race Director, permanent starter, Clerk of the Course, technical compliance delegate and media delegate. The FIA shall appoint or approve safety, medical and safety-scrutineering personnel and the safety-car and medical-car crews. A deputy Race Director may be appointed with the same separation of responsibilities.

3.8.3        The Race Director has overriding operational authority over the Clerk of the Course for session control, stopping cars, starts, neutralisation, suspension and resumption. The Race Director shall remain in radio contact with the Clerk of the Course and chief steward; the Clerk of the Course shall maintain contact with marshal posts. Required officials shall be present before track running begins.

3.8.4        FOO shall provide the official document and messaging system. Results, instructions, investigation notices and decisions shall be published through it. Decisions affecting a particular competitor shall be communicated promptly and normally within 25 minutes after the decision is made. Urgent safety instructions shall be transmitted immediately by the fastest available means.

3.8.5        Competitors shall monitor the system continuously during sessions. An instruction takes effect at the time specified or, if none is specified, when officially communicated. The stewards may use timing, telemetry, video and other relevant evidence and shall give reasons for findings and sanctions.

3.9 Protests appeals and sanctions

3.9.1        Competitors may protest and appeal under the published FOO judicial procedures. Each formal protest or appeal shall be accompanied by a EUR 2,000 deposit, subject to the refund and cost rules in those procedures. Immediate safety directions remain binding while a challenge is considered.

3.9.2        An independent appeal panel shall hear sporting appeals. Members shall have no involvement in the original decision or material relationship with an affected competitor. FOO judicial procedures shall specify standing, deadlines, admissibility, evidence disclosure and the finality of results before entries open; event instructions shall not retrospectively shorten those deadlines.

3.9.3        The stewards may impose reprimands, fines, lap-time deletion, grid penalties, drive-through or stop-and-go penalties, disqualification, and referral for suspension or Championship exclusion. Penalties shall be proportionate to the offence and imposed only after an opportunity to respond, except for necessary immediate safety measures.

3.9.4        A driver receiving three reprimands within any ten consecutive Competitions of the same Championship season shall receive a ten-place grid penalty if at least two of those reprimands concern driving. Reprimands used to trigger that penalty shall not be reused for a second automatic penalty. If imposed after the race, the grid penalty applies at the next Competition entered in that Championship.

3.9.5        FOO shall issue personal, non-transferable access passes for restricted areas. All persons shall wear the appropriate pass and observe safety restrictions. Access may be withdrawn for misuse, with written reasons and review where practicable.

Article 4 Sessions and track running

4.1 General track requirements

4.1.1        Drivers shall obey the flags, lights and other signals in the FIA-approved event safety instructions. Competitors shall not display signals that could be confused with official signals. Pit-lane discipline and safety rules apply to every session unless an express exception is stated.

4.1.2        Only driving in the normal course of a session may alter the grip of the track. A competitor shall not treat, coat or otherwise modify the racing surface. A driver shall not stop unnecessarily or drive unnecessarily slowly, erratically or dangerously.

4.1.3        A driver with a serious mechanical problem shall leave the racing line and stop in a safe position as soon as practicable. Marshals shall recover stopped cars under Race Control instructions. Except for authorised officials and recovery personnel, no person other than the driver may touch a stopped car outside the paddock, garage, pit lane or authorised grid-working period.

4.1.4        When abandoning a car, the driver shall select neutral or disengage the clutch where possible, make propulsion and electrical systems safe in accordance with the car’s emergency procedure, and replace the steering wheel. Safety and emergency signalling systems required by the FIA shall remain operative as prescribed. Instructions elsewhere in these Regulations to stop, start or run an engine shall apply to the corresponding approved safe or propulsion-ready state for other architectures; they shall not command automatic departure or waive the technical control restrictions.

4.1.5        Drivers shall wear the protective clothing, helmet and head-and-neck restraint specified in the applicable FIA safety schedule. Mandatory rear lights shall operate when intermediate or wet tyres are fitted and whenever Race Control requires them. A car with defective safety equipment may be stopped and may return only after the fault is corrected and approval is given.

4.1.6        During a race, an engine or propulsion system may be restarted only with the car’s approved onboard equipment, except that an approved external starter may be used in the pit lane. External starting shall provide only the necessary starting work; it shall not charge a propulsion store or supply replenishment energy by another route. Restart after emergency shutdown additionally requires the prescribed inspection and authorisation. Fuel, charging and other replenishment remain subject to Article 5.3 and Technical Article 6, including only the expressly authorised additional-procedural-duty exception.

4.2 Driving conduct and track limits

4.2.1        The driver shall control the car alone, subject to systems expressly permitted by the Technical Regulations. Remote driving and external control of regulated functions are prohibited under Technical Article 9, including configuration changes, fault clearing, controller resets and delayed commands. The bounded official safety-status interface, physical marshal emergency shutdown and authorised stationary servicing remain subject to their express technical requirements. Human radio advice does not authorise machine-readable control of the car.

4.2.2        The white lines defining the track are part of the track; kerbs beyond those lines are not. A car has left the track when no part remains in contact with the track. Drivers shall make reasonable efforts to remain within the track and may leave it only for a justifiable reason.

4.2.3        A driver rejoining shall do so safely and without gaining a lasting advantage. The Race Director may require the advantage to be surrendered; this does not prevent the stewards imposing a penalty. Deliberate obstruction, dangerous changes of direction and avoidable dangerous contact are prohibited.

4.2.4        The event instructions may identify additional safety restrictions or the method of track-limit detection, but shall not redefine a track boundary for an individual competitor or apply an unpublished sporting exception retrospectively.

4.3 Pit lane and permitted stops

4.3.1        The pit-entry section runs from the first safety car line to the pit lane. Pit exit runs from the end of the pit lane to the second safety car line. A car shall not reverse under its own power in the pit lane.

4.3.2        The lane nearest the pit wall is the fast lane; the lane nearest the garages is the inner lane. Work shall take place only in the assigned garage or inner-lane working position, except for the expressly permitted pit-exit queue and suspension procedures. Teams shall not obstruct the fast lane or leave equipment in it.

4.3.3        FOO shall allocate garages and working areas on an equal and practicable basis, taking account of the registered number of cars and the venue’s safety requirements. Each team shall have one designated pit-stop position. Powered lifting equipment may be used only if approved as safe by the FIA safety delegate.

4.3.4        The pit-lane speed limit is 80 km/h unless the FIA safety delegate specifies a different safe limit. Practice, qualifying and warm-up infringements attract a team fine of EUR 100 per km/h above the limit, with additional penalties for deliberate or dangerous conduct. Race infringements are referred to the stewards for an on-track penalty.

4.3.5        Cars may leave the pit exit only on a green signal. Drivers remain responsible for safe merging; a blue signal warns of approaching traffic. A car waiting at the pit exit before a session shall join the queue in arrival order and may pass only a car that is unduly delayed, when safe and permitted by an official.

4.3.6        Pit-exit starters may queue from 30 minutes before the scheduled formation lap. In the queue, permitted work is limited to starting preparation, approved heating or cooling equipment, driver comfort and tyre or wheel changes before the applicable start deadline. Fuel, charging and other replenishment remain subject to Article 5.3 and Technical Article 6. Work shall not obstruct other cars.

4.3.7        Teams may sweep or dry their working area but shall not apply grip-enhancing products or paint markings on the pit lane. Personnel shall enter the working lane only when needed and withdraw when the work is complete. Persons working on a car during qualifying or a race stop shall wear FIA-accepted helmets and eye protection under the event safety schedule.

4.3.8        A team shall release its car only when the path is clear and the car is safe. The release signal shall be identifiable in overhead and frontal recordings. A car is released when it leaves the garage or fully clears its pit-stop position. An unsafe release may attract a team fine; a driver may additionally be penalised for knowingly continuing with an unsafe car or disobeying a stop instruction.

4.3.9        During the race, a stop is permitted only to repair damage or a mechanical fault, replace an unsafe component, change tyres because of weather or a verified unsafe tyre condition, serve a penalty or comply with an official instruction. Routine strategic tyre changes and routine replenishment are prohibited. Suspension, neutralisation and a permitted stop do not reopen fuel, charging, fluid or propulsion-store servicing. The sole additional-procedural-duty exception follows Technical Article 6 and Schedule T; it does not authorise unrelated work.

4.3.10      A component or tyre removed for safety reasons shall be retained for inspection. A team shall notify Race Control of the reason as soon as practicable; prior authorisation is not required where waiting would create danger. Approval to stop does not establish that the work was justified, and the stewards may investigate misuse.

4.3.11      If pit entry is closed for safety, a driver may enter only on an official instruction or for an immediate safety necessity that cannot safely be deferred. The driver shall inform Race Control and follow marshals’ directions. Pit-exit closure always remains binding. These provisions also apply during VSC, safety-car operation and a restart, subject to the stricter red-flag working restrictions.

4.4 Practice sessions and interruptions

4.4.1        A race driver shall have taken part in at least one practice session at the event and satisfied any applicable pre-qualification requirement before starting qualifying or the race. The stewards may require additional evidence of competence, but may not exceed the circuit’s approved capacity.

4.4.2        A practice infringement may result in lap-time deletion, a grid penalty or another sanction. Unnecessary stopping or impeding shall be investigated. At the end of a session, a driver may cross the Line only once after being shown the end signal, except under an official instruction.

4.4.3        When red flags are shown, drivers shall immediately reduce speed, cease overtaking and return slowly to the pit lane unless instructed to stop elsewhere. Race Control may interrupt a session as often as necessary for safety. The qualifying clock shall stop during a red flag; FP1 and warm-up clocks normally continue unless FOO and the FIA safety delegate approve an extension that preserves the required timetable intervals.

4.4.4        An interrupted session does not create a right to compensation or a guaranteed replacement session. Sporting decisions remain subject to the normal protest and appeal procedures. No driver may continue an attempt after the session has been stopped.

4.4.5        Support activities shall be scheduled outside FOO track sessions and shall finish at least one hour before the pit lane opens for race reconnaissance, unless an alternative safety-approved timetable is published. FOO shall ensure that such activities do not compromise the condition or availability of the circuit.

4.5 Free practice and pre qualification

4.5.1        FP1 shall last 90 minutes and normally take place on Saturday morning. It shall finish at least two hours before qualifying begins. Where entries exceed the approved qualifying or race capacity, pre-qualification shall take place within FP1, rather than by excluding cars after Q1.

4.5.2        FOO shall publish the maximum admitted field and any FP1 group arrangements before the Competition. Groups shall not exceed the safe simultaneous capacity, and each nominated race driver shall receive an equivalent scheduled opportunity. The fastest valid FP1 time of each nominated race driver determines admission up to the published limit. Identical times are resolved in favour of the driver who set the time first.

4.5.3        Grid penalties shall not be used to exclude a driver who has earned admission through pre-qualification. A driver without a valid pre-qualification time shall not displace a driver with a valid time. The stewards may admit such a driver only where capacity remains and competence is established.

4.5.4        Where materially different conditions prevent a fair comparison between FP1 groups, the stewards shall use the published contingency procedure to arrange a common-condition comparison or further equal running before qualifying. If safe and fair pre-qualification cannot be completed, qualifying shall be postponed rather than conducted above the approved capacity. FOO shall publish this contingency procedure before entries for the event close.

4.5.5        Once qualifying starts, no excluded pre-qualification entry may replace a withdrawn qualified entry. The nominated race driver, not an FP1-only substitute, shall establish the relevant time.

4.6 Qualifying

4.6.1        Qualifying shall normally take place on Saturday afternoon. A night session requires FIA approval of visibility, lighting and safety provision. There is no limit on qualifying laps except in Q3.

4.6.2        Q1 lasts 30 minutes and includes all admitted drivers. The ten fastest advance to Q2. Positions 11 onwards are determined by Q1 times. If fewer than ten eligible drivers remain, all may advance.

4.6.3        After a ten-minute interval, Q2 lasts 15 minutes. The five fastest advance to Q3; positions six to ten are determined by Q2 times. If fewer than five drivers remain, all may advance.

4.6.4        After a further ten-minute interval, Q3 consists of one timed lap per driver, run individually from the lowest to the highest Q2-ranked participant. Each driver shall have an out-lap, one timed lap and an in-lap under the published release procedure. Q3 times determine the front positions, and the fastest valid Q3 time earns pole position.

4.6.5        A driver whose car stops on the circuit during qualifying may take no further part in that session. A stop required solely by a general red flag at an officially designated stopping point is not a retirement for this purpose. A driver who causes an interruption receives no replacement attempt.

4.6.6        If a Q3 attempt is interrupted by a red flag not caused by that driver, the attempt is void and the driver shall receive one replacement timed attempt when conditions permit, in the order set by the stewards. A completed valid Q3 lap shall not be repeated. If qualifying cannot be completed, Article 4.7 governs the uncompleted phase.

4.6.7        Dry qualifying shall use qualifying slicks. Intermediate or wet tyres may be used when conditions require them. Tyre quantities are not limited, subject to the supplier and safety provisions of Article 6.

4.7 Qualifying classification and grid

4.7.1        Positions are determined by the last phase reached: Q3 participants first, then Q2 participants, then Q1 participants. Within a completed phase, valid times take priority. Identical Q1 or Q2 times are resolved by the earlier recording; identical Q3 times are resolved by Q2 rank.

4.7.2        For drivers without a valid time in Q2 or Q3, priority is: a driver who started a timed lap; a driver who left the pits but did not start a timed lap; a driver who did not leave the pits. Ties within those groups are resolved by the previous phase. If no driver records a valid time in a phase that is abandoned, that phase is ranked by the previous phase. If no qualifying phase produces valid times, FP1 times determine the grid subject to safe, comparable running and steward approval; otherwise the session must be rescheduled or the race cancelled.

4.7.3        Unless Q1 was declared wet, a driver eliminated in Q1 whose best time exceeds 107% of the fastest valid Q1 time, or who sets no time, shall not start without a reasoned steward exemption based on demonstrated competence. Such an exemption shall not reinstate a driver excluded by pre-qualification or exceed circuit capacity. Exempted drivers start behind all other grid starters, ranked by FP1 time.

4.7.4        Grid penalties shall be applied after qualifying classification in the order in which the offences occurred. Drivers required to start from the pit lane shall be removed from the grid. The provisional grid shall be published at least four hours before the scheduled formation lap and the final grid at least one hour before it, unless a timetable change makes this impossible; any later revision shall be published promptly with reasons.

4.7.5        Teams shall notify withdrawal as soon as it is known and normally no later than 75 minutes before the formation lap. Vacant positions shall be closed up before the final grid is issued. A later vacancy shall remain unless Race Control instructs otherwise before cars leave for the grid.

4.7.6        The grid shall use a staggered single-file arrangement with 16 metres between successive starting positions, subject to FIA approval of the venue marking. No additional starter may be admitted beyond the approved capacity.

4.8 Warm up

4.8.1        A 30-minute warm-up shall take place on race morning and finish at least four hours before the scheduled race-start signal. Only qualified race drivers may participate. Race slicks, intermediates or wet tyres shall be used according to conditions.

4.8.2        Warm-up times do not change the qualifying order. A car damaged during warm-up may race only if repaired in time and cleared by the relevant technical and safety officials. There is no right to substitute an additional complete car.

4.9 Grid preparation and formation lap

4.9.1        References in this procedure to minutes before the start mean minutes before the scheduled formation lap unless expressly stated otherwise. Technical set-up and component changes may continue until the ten-minute signal. After that signal, only the start-preparation tasks listed below are permitted on the grid; a car requiring other work shall start from the pit lane.

4.9.2        At 30 minutes, the pit exit opens for a maximum of three reconnaissance laps per car. Additional reconnaissance laps shall pass through the pit lane at reduced speed. A car stopping for work between those laps shall rejoin from its garage. The car must reach the grid under its own power to start from it. On the grid, engines shall be stopped until the starting procedure requires them to run.

4.9.3        At 22 minutes a warning is given. At 20 minutes the pit exit closes. Cars remaining in the pits start from the pit exit after the entire field passes it following the race start and the exit signal is green. Before the five-minute signal, pit-exit starters shall queue in qualifying order; cars arriving later join behind the existing queue.

4.9.4        Signals shall be given at ten, five, three, two, one minute and 30 seconds. At ten minutes, all persons except drivers, officials and authorised technical personnel shall leave the grid. Thereafter only tyre and wheel fitting until the three-minute signal, approved heating and cooling equipment, engine-start preparation and driver-comfort work are permitted.

4.9.5        At three minutes, all wheels shall be fully fitted. Subsequent wheel removal shall take place only in the pit lane. At two minutes, engines shall be started and personnel shall begin clearing the grid. By 90 seconds, all team personnel and equipment shall be clear. A car needing further assistance shall be moved to the pit lane under marshal control and shall start there. Breach of a signal or unsafe delay may attract a further penalty.

4.9.6        At 30 seconds, a driver requiring assistance shall raise an arm. Marshals shall show yellow flags and move the car only when the departing field has safely passed. A driver shall not attempt to start the engine while the car is being pushed.

4.9.7        When green lights are shown, the pole-position car leads the formation lap. Drivers shall observe the pit-lane speed limit until passing the pole-position marking. Practice starts are prohibited during the lap. Drivers shall maintain a safe, compact formation without unnecessary acceleration, braking or delay.

4.9.8        Overtaking is allowed only to pass an unduly delayed car or restore the original order after an unavoidable delay. A driver who cannot regain the original position before the first safety car line at the end of the formation lap shall enter the pits and start there. On return to the grid, drivers shall stop in their assigned positions with engines running.

4.10 Race start and delayed start

4.10.1      The starter shall illuminate the five red lights sequentially at approximately one-second intervals. The race begins when all red lights are extinguished after the final light. A jump start or positioning that defeats the approved movement-detection system shall be referred to the stewards.

4.10.2      If a grid car is immobilised after the start, marshals shall warn approaching drivers and move it safely to the pit lane. Mechanics may attempt a restart there. The driver may rejoin only with a green pit-exit signal and approval that the car is safe.

4.10.3      If a problem arises before the race-start signal, the driver shall raise both hands and the row marshal shall show a yellow flag. Race Control may display abort signals and EXTRA FORMATION LAP. Cars able to proceed shall complete another formation lap; affected cars shall be moved to the pit lane. The scheduled race distance is reduced by one lap for each additional formation lap. The original distance remains applicable to the points thresholds.

4.10.4      If rain begins after the five-minute signal and tyre changes are required, Race Control shall abort the procedure and restart it from the ten-minute signal. The race-restriction period remains in force. A prolonged delay, abandonment of the starting procedure, release to the garages or fresh reconnaissance does not authorise replenishment. Exceptional additional procedural duty shall follow Technical Article 6. Only a formal decision establishing a genuinely new race, with its sporting basis and treatment of all entrants recorded, may reset the period.

4.10.5      Where conditions require safety-car-led formation laps, cars shall follow in grid order, no more than ten car lengths apart. Pit-exit starters may join after the field passes, but shall return to the pits for the start. A car entering the pits during those formation laps shall also start from the pit lane. Drivers delayed in leaving may regain position only under the formation-lap rules.

4.10.6      When a standing start is safe, Race Control shall announce STANDING START, extinguish the safety car’s orange lights and direct cars to their grid positions after it enters the pits. The leader may control the approach pace without dangerous acceleration or braking. A standing start shall follow the normal light sequence.

4.10.7      The race shall not start merely to meet a timetable when conditions remain unsafe. Any alternative start method requires FIA safety approval and publication under Article 10; the default under these Regulations is a standing start. No points are earned solely by completing formation laps.

4.11 Race incidents and penalties

4.11.1      The Race Director or stewards may initiate an investigation. For a collision, a driving penalty shall be imposed only where the evidence establishes that a driver was wholly or predominantly responsible. Separate offences, including track limits, speeding and disobedience of signals, do not require a collision finding.

4.11.2      Race Control shall publish investigation notices. A driver named in a notice issued within 60 minutes after the race shall remain available at the venue until released by the stewards. Medical requirements take priority. The competitor shall have an opportunity to provide relevant evidence.

4.11.3      A drive-through penalty requires passage through the pit lane without stopping. A ten-second stop-and-go penalty requires the car to stop at its pit position for ten seconds before any work begins. Neither penalty authorises otherwise prohibited work, tyre replacement or refuelling.

4.11.4      A driver shall enter the pit lane to serve the penalty no later than the end of the fifth completed lap after official notification. Laps under VSC or safety-car operation count when pit entry is open. The service countdown pauses during suspension or safety closure of pit entry and resumes when access is permitted. A driver shall not choose to defer service in exchange for a post-race time adjustment.

4.11.5      No work may be performed during the ten-second stationary penalty. If the engine stops, permitted restart work may begin only after the penalty has elapsed. If restart fails, the car shall be moved safely to its garage. Only repairs otherwise authorised by these Regulations may follow the penalty.

4.11.6      If a penalty is imposed in the final five laps or after the finish, the stewards shall apply the equivalent time addition published for that venue before FP1. That schedule shall specify a drive-through equivalent based on the approved pit-lane transit loss and a stop-and-go equivalent adding ten seconds to it. These substitutes apply only where the normal service deadline cannot be completed; they are not an option for the driver.

4.11.7      If retirement prevents service, the stewards may impose a proportionate grid penalty at the driver’s next Competition. Failure to serve a penalty when required may result in disqualification. Reprimands, fines, grid penalties, disqualification and referral for suspension remain available for other offences under Article 3.

4.12 Safety car

4.12.1      The safety car shall be driven by an FIA-approved driver with an observer in radio contact with Race Control. It shall be ready for deployment before track running and shall take up the published pre-start position. Normally it leaves the pit lane 50 minutes before the formation lap and vacates the grid at the five-minute signal.

4.12.2      Its ordinary roles under this proposal are weather-related formation procedures and controlled laps before a restart. Routine incidents shall be managed by local flags, VSC or a red flag according to severity, rather than by bunching the field behind a safety car. This allocation does not restrict an immediate FIA safety instruction under Article 1.

4.12.3      When instructed to follow the safety car, drivers shall reduce speed safely, form a single line and remain no more than ten car lengths apart. Drivers shall not drive erratically, accelerate or brake dangerously, or impede the safety car. The leader shall observe the same separation limit until Race Control authorises the approach to a standing start.

4.12.4      Overtaking is prohibited except on a direct safety-car or marshal instruction, to pass an obviously disabled or unduly delayed car, or at the designated pit-entry and pit-exit boundaries. A car entering the pits may pass a car remaining on track after the first safety car line; a car leaving the pits may pass or be passed before the second safety car line. Pit-lane passing is permitted only where safe and consistent with queue instructions.

4.12.5      Race Control may direct the field and safety car through the pit lane. All drivers shall follow that route. A team may stop its car only for a purpose permitted by Article 4.3. There is no separate permission for routine tyre changes during safety-car operation.

4.12.6      The message SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP and extinguishing of its orange lights announce withdrawal. For a standing start, Article 4.10 or 4.15 applies. If the FIA requires an exceptional rolling release for safety, Race Control shall state the release line; no overtaking is permitted before that line. No lapped car may pass the field to recover a lap without an express published procedure and instruction.

4.13 Virtual safety car

4.13.1      The Race Director may deploy VSC during practice, qualifying, warm-up or the race when a controlled-speed neutralisation is sufficient to protect personnel and recover a hazard. Race Control shall announce VSC DEPLOYED through the official system and light panels.

4.13.2      The control method is an approved onboard speed limiter set to 80 km/h, or another FIA-approved event limit. Drivers shall begin decelerating immediately and activate the limiter within the published transition interval, normally five seconds. The FIA shall approve the transition for the circuit and vehicle systems before use; the interval shall not require unsafe braking. Drivers shall follow any lower local safety instruction. The limiter may limit driver-requested propulsion but shall not independently apply friction brakes or provide steering assistance. The driver remains responsible for braking where required to respect the applicable limit.

4.13.3      A driver already below the limit shall not accelerate to exploit the transition. No driver may gain an advantage by delayed activation or early release. The system shall record speed and activation data for review. If the approved limiter system cannot safely control the field, Race Control shall suspend the session rather than rely on an unvalidated procedure. Official messages and the response to unavailable, invalid or stale safety status shall comply with Technical Article 9 and Schedule T. Loss of reliable status shall not release an engaged limiter.

4.13.4      Overtaking is prohibited except to pass an obviously disabled car or at the pit-entry and pit-exit boundaries described in Article 4.12. Cars may enter the pits only for the purposes permitted by Article 4.3, including penalty service when pit entry is open. VSC does not create an additional tyre-change entitlement.

4.13.5      When it is safe to resume, Race Control shall announce VSC ENDING. Between ten and fifteen seconds later, the panels shall change to green. Drivers may then release the limiter and resume racing, subject to any local yellow flags. Green panels shall be extinguished after 30 seconds.

4.13.6      VSC laps completed after the race start count towards race distance and racing time. VSC does not itself reset the race order or authorise drivers to close gaps by exceeding the prescribed speed.

4.14 Suspension

4.14.1      The Race Director shall suspend running where the track cannot be negotiated safely under the available neutralisation procedure. Red flags and red light panels shall be displayed, overtaking shall cease and the pit exit shall close.

4.14.2      Drivers shall reduce speed immediately and proceed to the pit lane, lining up at the pit exit in the fast lane, unless Race Control specifies another safe stopping location. The safety car shall be positioned to lead a resumption. Cars shall remain under official control.

4.14.3      The restart order shall be taken from the last reliable common timing reference before suspension at which the order of all continuing cars can be established. Lap deficits shall be retained. Cars already in the pit lane shall be placed according to the same timing record, not according to their physical queue position. Race Control shall publish the order and explain any corrections.

4.14.4      A car unable to reach the queue because the route was blocked may be recovered and returned under official control if it remained eligible to continue. A car already retired, abandoned for reasons other than official evacuation, or incapable of continuing safely shall not be reinstated merely because the race is suspended.

4.14.5      During suspension the racing clock stops and the elapsed event clock continues. Repairs, set-up changes and performance work are prohibited. Permitted work is limited to safe start preparation, driver comfort, immediate safety or hazard-containment measures, and supervised tyre changes justified by weather or a verified unsafe tyre condition. Competitive external cooling, routine tyre reheating, pressure alteration and energy restoration are prohibited. No fuel or other fluid may be added or removed except an official sample, emergency extraction, or the strictly limited additional-procedural-duty addition expressly authorised under Technical Article 6 and Schedule T. Necessary safe thermal conditioning for an authorised electrical charge must be expressly included in that instruction. Emergency extraction creates no right to replacement. The technical prohibition on oil, injection-water and coolant additions remains binding.

4.14.6      A car requiring other repairs shall not be repaired during the suspension. After resumption it may remain in the pits for an otherwise permitted repair and rejoin when authorised, or retire. It shall not retain a track position through repairs carried out while the race is stopped.

4.14.7      Cars may leave the fast lane only under an official instruction. Personnel shall obey marshals and preserve access for emergency services. Only necessary team personnel, officials and accredited media authorised for the location may enter the working area.

4.15 Resumption and non resumption

4.15.1      FOO shall give at least ten minutes’ notice of a restart. The start-preparation signals apply, but only the limited work permitted during suspension may be performed. The Race Director shall not resume unless FIA safety requirements are satisfied and the elapsed-time limit permits it.

4.15.2      At the green signal, continuing cars shall follow the safety car from the pit lane in the published restart order, no more than ten car lengths apart. Cars required to restart from their garages or serve a pit-lane start shall join only as instructed and shall not reclaim an earlier track position.

4.15.3      A car delayed leaving the queue may regain its assigned position only before the first safety car line on the lap the safety car withdraws. If unable to do so, it shall enter the pits and rejoin after the field has passed the pit exit following the restart. Cars pushed out of the queue for a defect may not reclaim their previous position.

4.15.4      Normally one safety-car lap shall precede a standing restart, but further laps may be required for safety. Race Control shall announce STANDING START when appropriate. Cars shall take the grid in the published restart sequence, preserving lap deficits, and follow the normal start-light procedure. These post-start safety-car laps count towards race distance and the racing clock.

4.15.5      If no safe restart is possible, or the six-hour elapsed limit expires during suspension, the result shall be based on the last reliable timing reference before the suspension that establishes the order and completed laps of all classified cars. The stewards shall publish the reference used. Interrupted-race points shall be calculated under Article 3.3; a suspension does not itself guarantee points.

4.16 Finish

4.16.1      The end signal shall be shown when the leader completes the scheduled race distance or reaches the applicable time-limit finish. If shown early in error, the race shall be deemed to have ended at the leader’s last completed crossing before the signal. If shown late, the result shall be taken at the crossing when it should have been shown.

4.16.2      After the finish, all cars shall proceed directly to post-race parc ferme without unauthorised assistance or intervention. A driver may perform a celebration only if safe, authorised where required, and incapable of compromising technical conformity or the inspection process.

4.16.3      A classified car unable to reach parc ferme shall remain under official control and be transported there. The driver shall report for weighing and any required medical examination without delay.

4.17 Classification

4.17.1      Cars shall be classified by completed laps and, where the lap count is equal, by their order at the applicable finishing reference after penalties. The winner is the first classified car on that basis.

4.17.2      A car completing fewer than 90% of the winner’s laps, with the required lap count rounded down to a whole lap, shall not be classified. Classification does not require the car to be running at the finish, provided it otherwise satisfies this rule and has not been disqualified.

4.17.3      FOO shall publish a provisional classification followed by the official classification after the applicable checks and protest period. Results remain subject to admissible appeals and subsequent decisions under the Regulations.

Article 5 Event operations and technical procedures

5.1 Scrutineering

5.1.1        Each competitor shall complete its initial conformity checks and submit a signed declaration no later than 90 minutes before FP1. A late declaration requires a reasoned steward waiver; no car may run before the relevant technical and safety officials have accepted it.

5.1.2        A change of survival cell requires a new declaration and renewed inspection. Material changes after a prior check shall be disclosed, and the officials may require further verification before running.

5.1.3        Authorised scrutineers may inspect a car or competitor at any time, require dismantling, obtain components or samples, and require the competitor to meet reasonable inspection expenses under the published cost schedule. FOO technical officials determine non-safety conformity; FIA officials determine safety conformity. They may conduct a coordinated inspection and issue separate findings where necessary.

5.1.4        The Race Director or FIA safety delegate may stop an accident-damaged car for inspection. No previous clearance prevents a later check. The stewards shall publish the sporting findings of inspections, while protecting confidential design information except where disclosure is necessary to explain a breach.

5.2 Weighing

5.2.1        A driver signalled for weighing shall proceed directly to the designated scrutineering garage and stop the engine. Failure to attend, or work on the car before it is presented, shall be referred to the stewards.

5.2.2        Cars may be weighed after FP1, during qualifying, after warm-up or after the race. All cars participating in Q3 shall be weighed at the end of qualifying. The regulatory mass is the actual car-only mass determined under the Technical Regulations, with the driver and personal equipment removed and the installed seat and harness retained. Separate driver weighing may establish safety-assessment information; it does not establish a combined car-and-driver minimum or require driver-equalisation ballast.

5.2.3        A driver who abandons a car during qualifying shall report for weighing immediately upon returning, subject to medical priority. After the race, the same requirement applies to a driver whose classified car is recovered separately.

5.2.4        No substance or component may be added, removed or replaced after selection for weighing or after the race finish, except under official supervision. Official sampling and necessary safety actions shall be documented and accounted for in the measurement.

5.2.5        A car below the required minimum may be disqualified following the applicable measurement and decision procedure. No allowance shall be made for an accidentally lost component, missing fluid or nominal sample quantity unless an express technical provision authorises it. Only verified quantities removed under the exceptional official pre-weigh sampling procedure may support reconstruction under that procedure. Procedural interference may attract grid penalties or disqualification.

5.3 Fuel and energy handling

5.3.1        Before the race-restriction period, refuelling and traction charging are permitted only in the designated servicing location under the applicable FIA-approved handling procedure. The engine, generation and propulsion systems shall be in the approved safe servicing condition. The driver may remain in the car only where the approved procedure expressly permits it. An exceptional addition during the restricted period requires the Race Director’s written authorisation and the location, equipment and safeguards prescribed under Technical Article 6.

5.3.2        The race-restriction period begins when the car first leaves the pit lane for race reconnaissance. For a car making no reconnaissance lap, it begins when the car first joins the pit-exit starting queue or at the three-minute signal for the initial starting procedure, whichever occurs first. It continues through the prescribed post-race checks. Aborted or abandoned starts, release to the garage, suspension and restarts do not reset it. Only a formal sporting decision establishing a new race may do so under Technical Article 6 and Schedule T.

5.3.3        During that period, routine refuelling, external traction charging, fluid replenishment and replacement of propulsion stores are prohibited. The car shall meet the complete race-duty and sampling requirements of the Technical Regulations. Where unforeseen or safety-related starting or restart procedures exceed, or are expected to exceed, the cumulative three-extra-lap allowance or the 15-minute additional stationary allowance specified in the Technical Regulations, the Race Director may authorise only the extra fuel or electrical energy needed for the additional net procedural duty, determined and supervised under Technical Article 6. Such authorisation shall not restore ordinary racing energy, correct an inadequate initial load, permit oil, injection-water or coolant additions, or replace a propulsion store. Official sampling and emergency removal shall be recorded and create no right to replenishment.

5.3.4        Personnel handling fuel and the designated fire attendant shall wear protection specified in the FIA event safety schedule. An appropriate extinguisher shall be immediately available. Cars, containers and transfer equipment shall be bonded or grounded as required. A powered transfer system shall use a non-latching control or an automatic shut-off if the operator leaves it. Hydrogen handling, electrical charging and other architecture-specific hazards shall follow the corresponding approved transfer procedures and emergency provisions; liquid-fuel equipment alone is not sufficient for other energy systems.

5.4 Changes before the race

5.4.1        There is no pre-race parc ferme restriction on set-up changes. A team may replace components and change set-up between qualifying and the race, provided the car remains compliant, all required safety approvals are in place and officials can inspect it. This permission remains subject to the race-restriction period, the servicing restrictions in Article 5.3 and Technical Article 6, and the grid deadlines in Article 4.9.

5.4.2        On the grid, unrestricted technical work ends at the ten-minute signal. Thereafter Article 4.9 governs the limited preparation tasks. A car requiring further technical work shall be moved to the pit lane and may start from there when safe. A change of component does not itself incur a grid penalty unless another rule expressly provides one.

5.4.3        A change of supplier is governed by Article 3.6 and shall not be disguised as a permitted component replacement. The team shall notify changes affecting scrutineering and obtain any required reinspection before release.

5.5 Post race parc ferme and spare cars

5.5.1        Parc ferme extends from the finish to the designated secure area and remains in force until the relevant officials release the cars. Only authorised persons may enter or work on a car. Medical and emergency action takes priority but shall be recorded.

5.5.2        Each team may operate only the one or two complete cars entered for the event. An additional complete spare car is prohibited. Spare components, including survival cells, engines, gearboxes and suspensions, may be brought and used without a numerical sporting limit, subject to financial compliance and safety approval. Their fitting and use remain subject to the applicable race-period servicing restrictions; possession of a spare does not authorise replacement of a propulsion store during that period.

5.5.3        A replacement survival cell may be built into an entered car after the superseded assembly is withdrawn from service. It shall not create an additional runnable car. The replacement shall retain the relevant entry identity and undergo the checks required by Article 5.1.

5.6 Personnel and working arrangements

5.6.1        A competitor may deploy no more than 25 operational personnel per entered car at an event. Shared personnel count once within the team’s aggregate allowance, and staffing shall not be reclassified as hospitality or commercial work to evade the limit. Contractors and supplier technicians performing operational work on the car count within the allowance. Drivers are not counted as operational personnel for this limit.

5.6.2        No more than five operational personnel may work on a car during an ordinary race pit stop, including persons handling jacks, tyres and repairs. Routine race refuelling remains prohibited. For an exceptional stationary addition authorised under Technical Article 6, the written instruction shall identify the safe transfer procedure and working personnel. The normal limit remains unless the FIA-approved exceptional transfer procedure requires additional specifically identified safety personnel. Necessary independent emergency personnel are not part of the team’s working crew. This provision does not waive the event operational-personnel allowance or create a routine refueller role.

5.6.3        Personnel whose duties are solely hospitality, marketing, public relations, security or transport driving are excluded from the operational allowance. If they perform technical or mechanical work, they become operational personnel for that event and shall be declared accordingly.

5.6.4        For the World Title, each team shall nominate two distinct operational rosters of up to 25 persons per car. One roster shall cover the first 20 Competitions and the other the remaining Competitions. A person may work operationally at no more than 20 World Title Competitions in that season, including substitutions. Unavoidable replacements require notification and shall remain within the individual cap.

5.6.5        For a Continental Championship, an operational staff member may work at no more than 18 Competitions of that Championship in a season. Teams shall provide sufficient personnel and turnover to comply. The published roster shall record actual attendance and operational duties.

5.6.6        There is no additional Championship working-hour quota or factory shutdown. Applicable working-time obligations, safe rest arrangements and FIA requirements remain binding. Participation in testing is not counted as a Competition for the attendance caps, but testing shall not be used to circumvent safe working practices or financial reporting.

5.7 Additional safety provisions

5.7.1        The Race Director or FIA medical delegate may require a driver to undergo examination at any time. If the car’s medical warning system signals a threshold event, the driver shall report immediately to the event medical service or the location specified by the FIA medical delegate. Only authorised medical personnel may clear the driver to return.

5.7.2        The promoter shall provide at least two serviceable extinguishers of 5 kg capacity for each competitor, or greater provision required by the FIA safety plan. Firefighting equipment shall be appropriate to the fuels and energy systems present.

5.7.3        Persons under 16 shall not enter the active pit lane without FIA authorisation during the period from 15 minutes before until five minutes after a track session, or from 15 minutes before race reconnaissance opens until the last car enters post-race parc ferme.

5.7.4        Animals are prohibited from the track, pit lane and operational paddock except authorised security animals. Assistance animals and other access requirements in spectator areas shall be addressed by the promoter’s safety and accessibility plan. Any exception shall preserve safe track operations.

Article 6 Tyre supply and use

6.1 Suppliers and tyre categories

6.1.1        There is no fixed limit on eligible tyre suppliers. Each team shall nominate its supplier for the season in accordance with Article 3.6. Each supplier shall provide tyres complying with the Technical Regulations and any FIA safety approval or restriction.

6.1.2        Four use categories apply: qualifying slick, race slick, intermediate and wet. These categories do not create an entitlement to use more technical specifications than the Technical Regulations permit. Dry qualifying uses qualifying slicks; the dry race uses the nominated race slicks.

6.1.3        A supplier shall provide enough compliant tyres for all customer entries to complete the event safely. Qualifying slicks, intermediates and wets have no numerical sporting allocation limit. Race slick use in FP1 and warm-up is unrestricted in quantity. Each car shall receive one nominated race set and two reserve race sets for permitted replacements.

6.1.4        Equivalent specification, quality and quantity shall be available to each customer on a per-car basis. A two-car team may therefore receive twice the total number provided to a one-car team. Safety-critical information and updates shall be communicated to all affected customers without selective delay.

6.2 Control and identification

6.2.1        Before running, the technical compliance delegate and FIA safety scrutineers may inspect samples from each supplier and category. All race and reserve sets shall be identifiable and recorded against the car. Suppliers and teams shall retain specification, batch and allocation records for inspection.

6.2.2        A non-compliant or unsafe tyre shall not be used. Sporting penalties depend on the breach and responsibility established by the stewards. An FIA safety restriction takes immediate effect; a longer supplier suspension or sporting exclusion requires the appropriate independent process. A supplier sanction shall not automatically impose a driver penalty without a finding under the applicable rule.

6.2.3        The nominated dry race set may be changed before the race starts only if the replacement is compliant and recorded. Once the race starts, replacement is permitted only for weather or a verified unsafe condition under Article 4.3, including a genuine puncture or severe flat spot. Loss of performance alone does not justify a change.

6.2.4        An unsafe tyre shall not be used merely to preserve a one-set race. A driver or team shall stop or change it where required for safety. Removed tyres shall be retained. The officials may authorise an additional safety replacement beyond the two reserve sets where necessary; this shall not create a routine strategic allocation.

6.3 Operating conditions and testing

6.3.1        Teams shall follow mandatory supplier operating prescriptions, including pressure, temperature and usage limits approved for safety. Suppliers shall provide them before the relevant session, and urgent safety revisions shall be communicated immediately and applied consistently.

6.3.2        Intermediate and wet tyres may be selected when weather requires them. The Race Director, acting on FIA safety advice, may require a particular safe tyre category for specified conditions. A dry-tyre qualifying requirement shall never prohibit the use of an appropriate wet-weather tyre.

6.3.3        Tyre testing is unrestricted in days or mileage under Article 8, subject to safety approval, supplier access rules and the competitor’s Financial Regulations. Tyre testing does not exempt a team from declaring relevant expenditure.

6.3.4        Specification declarations, introduction windows and event nominations shall follow Technical Article 14 and Schedule T. External tyre heating is permitted only for initial preparation and before fitting an authorised replacement, within the approved limits. A suspension does not itself permit reheating of used tyres, pressure adjustment or other strategic preparation. Monitoring and necessary inspection remain permitted. A technical safety limit shall not be presented as performance advice or waived by the team.

Article 7 Media protocol and identification

7.1 Media obligations

7.1.1        The FOO media delegate shall coordinate media and promotional activities. The Race Director controls track access and the FIA retains medical and safety authority. Media duties shall not delay necessary treatment, mandatory weighing or a required steward hearing.

7.1.2        On Saturday, drivers and team representatives shall be available for scheduled media and promotional activities for up to two hours, between FP1 and qualifying or afterwards. Every driver shall provide at least five minutes of media availability after qualifying. These scheduled Saturday obligations shall be coordinated within the two-hour limit, excluding the separate drivers’ briefing.

7.1.3        On race day, drivers and team representatives shall provide at least ten minutes of media availability after warm-up. Drivers shall attend the parade 100 minutes before the scheduled formation lap and the national-anthem ceremony 16 minutes before it. Any additional ten-minute activity within the parade shall be notified at least 24 hours in advance.

7.1.4        A retired driver shall report for interviews promptly after returning to the paddock, once cleared of immediate medical and official obligations. Finishers shall attend the post-race media arrangements: the first three follow the podium sequence; other drivers shall attend individual interviews and, where no team written-media session is arranged, the FOO group session.

7.1.5        During the race, each team shall make one senior spokesperson reasonably available to accredited broadcasters without compromising operational or safety duties. Between one and two hours after the race, a senior spokesperson shall provide at least five minutes of media availability at the team’s hospitality area or another agreed location.

7.1.6        Friday media activities are voluntary and need not take place at the circuit. Additional requests during the Competition shall be reasonable, coordinated by the FOO media delegate and compatible with rest, preparation and mandatory duties. They shall not be used to evade the Saturday limit.

7.2 Podium and ceremonies

7.2.1        The top three drivers and a representative of the winning constructor shall attend the podium and required interviews unless excused for medical reasons or force majeure. FOO shall appoint a master of ceremonies and approve the event protocol with the promoter.

7.2.2        The podium shall provide three distinct levels for the classified drivers. Flags and the winning driver and constructor anthems shall follow their registered sporting identities. Ceremonial use of national symbols does not alter the geographical allocation disclaimer in Article 3.

7.2.3        The promoter shall supply four transportable trophies: winning driver, winning constructor, second driver and third driver. Each shall identify the relevant FOO Championship, event and award. A Continental trophy shall identify that Continental Championship rather than the World Title.

7.2.4        Podium decoration, trophies and presenters’ statements shall concern the event and its approved sporting or commercial presentation. Political or religious campaigning and discriminatory or threatening messages are prohibited. Sporting national symbols and ordinary sponsor identification are permitted.

7.2.5        FOO shall approve the award presenters nominated by the host and provide their names to broadcasters and the public-address commentator. Presenters shall leave before the celebratory drink sequence. An appropriate non-alcoholic alternative shall be available where required. Sound and access arrangements shall comply with the safety plan.

7.2.6        Camera operators shall not occupy the podium during the ceremony. Parc ferme shall be located as close to the podium as practicable with controlled access. A course vehicle may collect a stranded podium finisher only after Race Control declares the route safe.

7.2.7        Drivers shall complete required weighing before the podium; interviews may take place beforehand only if they do not interfere with the weighing protocol. The FOO media delegate shall coordinate the sequence with the technical officials and escort drivers to the subsequent media activities.

7.3 Briefings

7.3.1        A mandatory drivers’ and team managers’ briefing shall take place two hours before FP1 and be chaired by the Race Director. Additional briefings may be convened between sessions when necessary. A team shall ensure that a replacement driver receives the applicable instructions before running.

7.3.2        The event instructions shall identify safety signals, pit procedures, capacity limits, VSC controls, penalty time equivalents and any approved timetable changes. Briefing statements that affect all competitors shall also be recorded in writing through the FOO system.

7.4 Liveries and race numbers

7.4.1        Teams may choose and change liveries freely and may use different liveries for their two cars. Team, sponsor, manufacturer, driver and national identification are permitted. Political or religious campaigning, discriminatory material and messages incompatible with event safety or applicable law are prohibited. The sporting-purpose restriction shall not be interpreted to prohibit ordinary commercial sponsorship.

7.4.2        Where two team cars have materially identical liveries, the first car’s upper camera identification shall use the default identification colour published by FOO and the second shall use a predominantly fluorescent-yellow identification marking. This identifies the cars and does not require common or FOO-supplied camera hardware. Safety-critical camera housings shall not be altered without approval.

7.4.3        FOO shall allocate a unique race number to each driver within the Championship. The number shall be clearly visible from the front of the car and on the helmet, and remain unchanged during the season except to resolve a substitution or official administrative error. The team or constructor emblem shall appear on the nose, and the driver’s name shall be legible on the bodywork.

7.4.4        A replacement driver shall use their own allocated number where available, or a temporary number assigned by FOO. At season end a driver may request an unused number; numbers retained by returning drivers take priority. An FP1-only driver shall use the number notified in the event entry record.

7.4.5        The reigning champion of each Championship may use number 1 in that Championship. Their usual number remains reserved while they exercise that option. Number 1 is not transferable to a substitute who is not the reigning champion.

Article 8 Running outside a Competition

8.1 Categories of running

8.1.1        Testing of Current Cars (TCC) means running outside a Competition with a car built to the current, preceding or following season’s technical specification, or with a car used to develop a current or future component. There is no sporting limit on TCC days or mileage.

8.1.2        Promotional Events (PE) and Demonstration Events (DE) are running conducted solely for promotion or demonstration, without performance-development measurement or analysis. Safety, reliability and legally required recording may continue. Running that collects or uses development data shall be declared as TCC, regardless of its public or commercial purpose.

8.1.3        Testing of Historic Cars (THC) means running a car built to a specification at least two seasons before the current season, maintained in its period technical configuration apart from FIA-approved safety adaptations. Current or future development components shall not be fitted. Running outside these conditions shall be classified as TCC.

8.1.4        Historic running shall use tyres approved as suitable for that car and purpose, rather than a current Championship race specification used for development. Safe reuse and recycling are encouraged, but aged or unsuitable tyres shall not be used to meet that objective.

8.2 Notification and safety approval

8.2.1        Competitors shall notify FOO and the FIA at least 72 hours before TCC, PE, DE or THC. The notice shall identify the venue, cars and specifications, drivers, purpose, dates, duration, safety arrangements and responsible personnel. Driver details shall be finalised before running. The FIA may appoint an observer or require inspection.

8.2.2        Any requested safety deviation for instrumentation or historic adaptation shall be submitted at least seven days before running and approved before use. Notice alone is not approval. No exception may compromise the driver’s protection, safe operation or emergency access.

8.2.3        All running shall use cars meeting the applicable safety requirements and required structural tests. Drivers shall hold the licence authorised for the activity and complete necessary familiarisation. Teams may use drivers other than their race drivers if these conditions are met.

8.2.4        An incident triggering the medical warning system requires immediate medical assessment. Fire, medical and recovery provision shall be appropriate to the cars, energy systems, speeds and activity, with an FIA-approved emergency plan. Full race-type testing shall have emergency provision equivalent to the applicable Competition requirements.

8.3 Venues and conduct

8.3.1        TCC shall take place only at a circuit approved by the FIA for the cars and activity concerned. A private circuit owned by a team is subject to the same safety requirement. Database membership does not substitute for approval, and private ownership does not create an exemption.

8.3.2        PE and DE on non-circuit routes require specific FIA safety approval, segregation from public traffic and a documented event plan. Historic running shall use a venue approved for its performance and safety characteristics.

8.3.3        Drivers shall obey red flags, session-end signals, pit-lane controls and officials’ instructions. Fuel and electrical energy handling shall follow Article 5.3 and the applicable technical safety procedures. TCC shall not share live track time with another vehicle category. Promotional or demonstration coordination with other vehicles requires express approval in the event plan.

8.3.4        Teams and suppliers may arrange joint tests. FOO is not required to organise a central test programme. All team testing expenditure remains subject to the Financial Regulations. Operational attendance at a test does not count as a Competition for the event caps, but safe working and rest obligations still apply.

8.4 Supply and prototype components

8.4.1        Permitted component supply to independent Continental customers is not prohibited by the definition of TCC. A World Title constructor may supply approved chassis, aerodynamic components or other permitted systems under Technical Article 19. It shall not supply a complete World Title car or prohibited coordinated complete package through direct, related-party or nominally separate arrangements. The technical core-group, integration and effective-control criteria apply to every propulsion architecture.

8.4.2        Prototype or experimental components may be tested only after the FIA has accepted the relevant safety assessment and any necessary tests. Technical freedom does not remove the duty to identify and control hazards before track use.

8.4.3        A current car or component may be made available to another party only where permitted by the applicable supply, intellectual-property, entry and safety rules. The receiving party shall not use that arrangement to bypass World Title constructor responsibilities or Continental works-entry restrictions.

Article 9 Development facilities and personnel

9.1 Development freedom

9.1.1        Teams may operate factories, research facilities, computer systems, engine test beds and wind tunnels throughout the year. There is no mandatory sporting shutdown or numerical restriction on CFD, simulator or wind-tunnel use, provided the activity complies with financial and safety obligations.

9.1.2        Teams may choose software, computing technology, test methods and full-size or scale wind-tunnel models. Physical testing shall be conducted safely for personnel and the public. Track testing remains subject to Article 8. Data collection during a Competition is permitted only within the session’s sporting and safety rules.

9.1.3        Independent suppliers are not subject to a team’s break-even test merely because they supply components. Costs incurred for or on behalf of a team, related-party transactions and supplied development services shall nevertheless be recognised as required by the Financial Regulations. A supplier acting as a competitor remains subject to those Regulations in its competitor capacity.

9.1.4        Unrestricted development shall not be used to conceal team expenditure, transfer prohibited designs or create a controlled Continental works entry. Competitors and suppliers shall retain sufficient records to demonstrate compliance without surrendering unrelated confidential information.

9.2 Personnel movement and protected information

9.2.1        Employment or movement of personnel between businesses is not prohibited in itself. No competitor may use recruitment, secondment, consultancy or a third party to obtain another competitor’s protected chassis or aerodynamic design information contrary to the Regulations or applicable rights.

9.2.2        Personnel may use their general skills and experience but shall respect confidentiality and intellectual-property obligations. Current joint staffing or development arrangements shall not enable competitors to share components or designs that the Technical Regulations require them to develop independently.

9.2.3        Permitted supplier support, including supply to Continental customers, shall be documented and separated from prohibited sharing between World Title constructors. FOO may require proportionate evidence of the separation and refer suspected breaches to the independent disciplinary process.

Article 10 Applicability and publication

10.1 Scope and commencement

10.1.1      These Regulations apply to the World Title and every Continental Championship unless an express provision states otherwise. The season and effective date shall be identified in the adoption instrument issued by the relevant FOO. Adoption does not represent approval by the FIA until the necessary safety and licensing arrangements have been secured.

10.1.2      FOO shall publish the final Technical Regulations, Financial Regulations, judicial procedures, governance provisions and Championship appendices before accepting binding season entries. Unresolved dependencies shall be settled through the applicable approval process; competitors shall not be required to enter on the basis of unpublished essential conditions.

10.1.3      The Championship appendices shall identify the season calendar, geographical eligibility register, circuit rotation, approved safety standards, entry and licence requirements, points and payment schedules, and protest and appeal deadlines. The event instructions shall identify the approved layout and capacity, timetable, local safety arrangements, VSC transition, qualifying contingency and equivalent penalty times.

10.1.4      The Technical Regulations define permitted active systems, car dimensions, mass, fuel and energy constraints, component responsibilities and safety approval requirements. Sporting procedures shall not alter those requirements or authorise an otherwise prohibited technical function.

10.1.5      FOO shall maintain version control and a public amendment register. A clarification shall explain an existing rule; a substantive change shall follow the voting and publication requirements in Article 1. An individual official shall not introduce a new substantive rule by interpretation.

10.1.6      This edition is coordinated with FOO Technical Regulations Revision 1 and FOO Financial Regulations Revision 2, both dated 29 October 2026. Technical Schedule T governs the specified interfaces between the documents. The applicable season, effective dates and any subsequent amendments shall be identified in the published adoption instrument. Event instructions may specify safe implementation but shall not extend exceptional replenishment, create a new race to reset restrictions without a genuine sporting basis, relax supplier independence or change the approved technical permissions.