FIA announce brand new F1 rule change for 2026 season

The FIA have confirmed a few more rule changes for the 2026 season and beyond, including one that focuses on F1 sprint weekends.

2026 will see a plethora of changes in F1, with wholesale new regulations sweeping into the sport, focused on both power units and chassis.

It has also been confirmed that there will be three sets of three-day pre-season testing events to help drivers and teams to get used to the new regulation changes, but now more changes have been announced regarding the structure of the season itself.

Sprint race weekends in F1 see just a single hour of practice for the teams, before competitive actions starts on the Friday. While this can be troublesome for teams, it is particularly hard if that practice session sees any delays, such as a red flag or bad weather.

Practice sessions are unlike qualifying and grands prix, in that the clock keeps ticking down every time there is a red flag, eating into the allotted practice time for teams and drivers.

While this will remain the case during standard race weekends in 2026, the six sprint race weekends will see a change to this rule, with the one and only practice session being allowed by the FIA to be extended, should red flags hamper the session.

It will be extended to ensure that teams get the full hour of practice ahead of sprint qualifying, although this will not be the case if the session is already 45 minutes through when a red flag is shown.

In other changes announced ahead of the 2026 season, the FIA have confirmed that pre-season testing for 2027 will go back to just the single three-day event at the Bahrain International Circuit, while the number of operational staff allowed in the F1 paddock will increase from 58 to 60 per outfit to help with the changing elements of the car designs in 2026.

Who will master 2026 regulation changes?

The changes are expected to see an opportunity for some teams to make a jump on their rivals, with a shake up of the competitive order in the sport largely expected.

Mercedes are said to be the team best placed to master the new regulations, while Red Bull's new powertrain department are rumoured to have struggled.

Nonetheless, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has said that he expects the order for the first three races next year to be completely different to the order after around six or seven races, as different teams learn at different rates about how best to optimise their machinery and power unit.

It's set to be a huge year for a number of drivers whose future beyond next season with their current teams is uncertain, including Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

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