FIA’s WMSC ratifies F1 regulatory changes for 2027 and 2028

On Tuesday, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) held their mid-2026 meeting during the FIA Conference in Macau, with various updates to the 2026 Sporting, Technical and Financial Regulations being approved, and proposed changes for 2027 and 2028 being ratified.

“The FIA continues to oversee the evolution of the 2026 regulations and work closely with all key stakeholders across the motorsport community,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem of the latest discussions.

“As with every major regulatory change, the process does not end when the cars first take to the track. Continuous dialogue and collaboration are essential to ensuring that the regulations meet the needs of the sport, its drivers, and its fans.

“Together we are exploring the future direction of the championship and considering how the sport can balance innovation, sustainability, performance and fan appeal in the years ahead.

“The discussions around future power unit concepts, including V8 engines powered by sustainable fuels, demonstrate the willingness of all parties to engage in shaping the next chapter of the sport.”

During the meeting, the WMSC approved updates to the 2026 Sporting, Technical and Financial Regulations. In addition to various clarifications and minor corrections, the following changes have been included:

• The declaration of a ‘Heat Hazard’ may now be split between the Sprint and Race. A Heat Hazard will still be declared, for Sprint, Race or both, 24 hours prior to the start of the competition.
• In low grip conditions, when the track is wet and there is poor visibility, boost mode has been reintroduced but will be restricted to preventing power reduction without increasing output, while the overtake function will be disabled. These changes have been made for safety reasons.

The first issue of the 2027 Technical Regulations has also been approved with a broad set of structural, wording and targeted technical updates that improve clarity, consistency and enforceability, while incorporating key learnings from the 2026 season.

Meanwhile, from 2027, the duration of pre-season testing has been increased from three to four days, given the general complexity of the current generation of cars.

Similarly approved were measures relating to power unit supply, management of reconnaissance laps and race distances at selected circuits, and financial regulatory changes linked to amendments to the technical and sporting package for 2027-28.

Finally, the WMSC ratified the recently proposed changes to rebalance the contribution of the Internal Combustion Engine and Energy Recovery System contribution across the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

Updates include targeted adjustments to Internal Combustion Engine output, fuel energy flow and Energy Recovery System deployment, together with increased flexibility in energy management.