FIA announce outcome of F1 commission meeting as verdict issued over 2026 regulation changes

The FIA have issued their verdict over changes to the 2026 regulations after the first F1 Commission meeting of the year in Bahrain.

Without a single lap being raced in 2026, there have already been multiple F1 controversies at the dawn of the new ruleset, from geometric compression ratios to the race start procedure.

These were discussed at the first F1 Commission meeting of the year in 2026, which took place against the backdrop of testing in Bahrain on Wednesday February 18. During the meeting, feedback from the drivers regarding overall car characteristics, energy and the power unit, aerodynamics, overtaking and racing, tyres and mechanical grip were all tabled.

Drivers responded positively to the reduced weight and smaller dimensions of the new cars, alongside the improved ride quality and stronger initial acceleration.

It was agreed in the meeting that: "No immediate major regulatory changes were required given that initial evidence and feedback remains immature and that premature change carried the risk of increased instability ahead of the first race. Further reviews will be carried out once more data becomes available."

There was also talk of the F1 race start procedure during the meeting, with further evaluation of updates to race systems and on-car management set to be undertaken during the current Bahrain test before action is taken.

READ MORE: FIA announce official F1 vote over Mercedes compression ratio controversy

What is the controversy around the race start procedure?

There are concerns that some teams will struggle to get off the line come lights out in Melbourne. During the first week of testing in Bahrain, only two cars got off the line in a group practice start, with the issue triggered by the new power units.

The design of the new power units means some cars are in danger of being left stranded on the grid, with the cars needing to rev up for a longer period of time in order to get off the line.

While there is an obvious sporting disadvantage, it is the safety of the start procedure that has caused the most worry.

Several team bosses have advocated for a longer start procedure to ensure all drivers have ample time to get off the line, which means that drivers could have 10 seconds to spool up their turbos.

Ferrari however, have reportedly blocked a change to the start procedure when the issue was raised last year, having supposedly developed an engine which works better off the line than their rivals.

They believe their rivals chose not to develop around the start procedure issue, even though they knew it would become a problem, and that the field shouldn't be evened this late on.

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

The first race of the season is in Melbourne on Sunday March 8 for the Australian Grand Prix. Lights out are at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

Meanwhile, the second week of Bahrain testing got under way on Wednesday February 18 and then continues on Thursday February 19 and Friday February 20.

Each day is split into two sessions with a one-hour lunch break between. Times are as follows:

Session One: 10am-2pm local time (7am-11am UK, 8am-noon CET, 2am-6am Eastern).

Session Two: 3pm-7pm local time (noon-4pm UK, 1pm-5pm CET, 7am-11am Eastern).

F1 Testing 2026: Bahrain schedule, start times and how to watch it all LIVE

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