F1 2026: FIA green light 'delay' to new rule

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F1 2026: FIA green light 'delay' to new rule

Sustainable fuels will not have to be used for testing

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 17 January 2026 09:55

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The FIA have given the green light for a delay to one of the rules heading into F1 in 2026, according to German media.

2026 sees a plethora of changes sweeping into the sport, with new car designs and new power units set to grace the grid and provide fans with an unpredictable start to the season.

There is no telling exactly which teams and drivers will be competing for the championship at this stage, and a complete shake-up of the competitive order could happen.

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Pre-season testing is bound to be crucial for all of the teams, and there are 11 days of it this year to allow teams to iron out any potential teething problems. Now, it has been revealed that the FIA have agreed to a delay for one of the new rules set to enter F1, and it surrounds pre-season testing.

New F1 power units are set to be split 50-50 between electrical energy and an internal combustion engine that runs off 100 per cent sustainable fuels, to bring F1 into line with their own net zero ambitions by 2030.

But it appears as though during the pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain, fossil fuels will be used, with fuel suppliers reportedly asking for a delay to the implementation of the new sustainable fuels to give them a bit of extra time.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, the FIA have granted the delay, and the new high-tech, sustainable fuels will only become mandatory in March at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

This exemption is not going to apply for 2027 pre-season testing, however, with the above publication reporting that this is very much a temporary problem.

F1 2026 power unit changes

F1 engines will remain a 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, but the internal combustion engine output has been cut and electrical power tripled, basically meaning there is now a 50-50 split between the two power sources.

The car’s Energy Recovery System (ERS) can now recharge the battery with twice as much energy per lap, as F1 says goodbye to the MGU-H.

The 'advanced sustainable fuels' that will be present from the Australian GP onwards were already trialled in F2 and F3 in 2025, and the fuel is made from sources such as carbon capture, municipal waste and non-food biomass.

F1 is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030, and these new high-tech power units will certainly help in trying to achieve that goal.

F1 FIA 2026 regulations