Posted on 09/22/2026 6:26:50 AM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
The third meeting of the Formula 1 Commission in 2026 took place today, September 21 at the offices of the FIA in London. The meeting was chaired by FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis and FOM President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.
The following is an overview of the key discussion points:
2026 Regulatory changes
Minor changes to the 2026 Sporting and Financial Regulations were agreed.
2027 Regulatory changes
In line with the refinements to the Power Unit regulations to be introduced in 2027 on fuel flow, a reduction in the total race distance from 305km (190 miles) to 290km (180 miles) was approved, corresponding to a reduction of two or three laps.
Regarding races that are disrupted by rain or other factors, it was decided that a hard stop time would be introduced for the end of any racing activity, but that the current limitation of a race to three hours (from its start to its end – including interruptions) would be removed. The limit of two hours of actual racing will remain. These changes were introduced to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur. It was also agreed that there would be greater flexibility to extend Free Practice sessions should they be interrupted.
Following consultation with the relevant manufacturer working group, and a recommendation from the Sporting Advisory Committee, it was agreed to remove gearbox homologation for 2027 which would preserve supplier development freedom. There are also minor changes to the 2027 Technical Regulations.
All regulatory changes are subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
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that Montreal race took like 6 hours to complete- similar to the Alabama-Florida State game on Saturday....
Why would changes to the Power Unit require a reduction in the total race distance from 305km (190 miles) to 290km (180 miles)? Then they go on to say they want to maximize spectator enjoyment. By eliminating ten miles of racing?
There is an 18-gallon fuel tank limit in F1 for the entire race. The rules allow more fuel burn so they decided to cut ten miles from the race.
No fueling at pit stops?
So no movement towards V8/10/12 ICE power and dropping this ridiculous green-wet-dream of hybrid engines that produce more power than is needed in everyday life using a fuel that folks in everyday life cannot get nor afford.
Fuel tank size isn't specified in the TR. 18 gallons would only get them about 2/3rds the distance of a 305 km race. The 2026 cars are actually less fuel efficient than the 2025 cars were because they deleted the MGUH (which reclaimed heat ordinarily wasted by the turbocharger).
The reason they're shortening the races is the packaging of the 2026 cars was based on a 305 km race with fuel flow limited to 3000 megajoules in an hour.* The packaging is very tight and the fuel tank size can't be increased without triggering another round of homologation.
In answer to complaints (from both fans and teams) that the cars are running out of battery power too frequently, for 2027 they're increasing the internal combustion engine's maximum fuel flow to 3150 mj/h. These cars are turbocharged and they're nowhere near maximum output, even with the increased fuel flow, and extra ICE power from the extra fuel somewhat offsets the car's inability to harvest enough energy to keep the batteries energized. But it also (obviously) reduces fuel economy, and the fuel tanks that were designed for a 305 km race are no longer big enough.
So because the FIA failed to anticipate the possibility that it might be necessary to increase fuel flow, they're having to shorten next year's races (all except Monaco, which is only 260 km to start with).
*They're now measuring the energy content of each engine supplier's man-made synthetic fuel, and the flow rate is based on that energy content rather than its volume or weight. Which makes it exceedingly difficult for fans to understand because each of the six engine suppliers makes their own (synthetic) fuel and they all will have a different weight or volume based on their energy content. The fuel economy measurements in common use -- miles per gallon or liters per 100 km -- are no longer relevant.
Correct. Not since 2010.
Wow, 16 years already. My son follows F1 a lot more closely than me. He and three buddies went to Silverstone in July and loved it. Plus Wimbledon, golf in Scotland, Glasgow, London, and Scottish whisky tasting.
They're talking maybe 2030 or '31 for return to V-8s, but they're married to the hybridization.
The company that bought F1 in 2014 (Liberty Media) are evangelists for the New Green Religion. They've committed F1 to a goal of "Net Zero" (carbon emissions) by 2030.
They can't be blind to the fact that they're driving away the old F1 fans, but they figure they've got a larger untapped audience among the young people who don't remember when F1 racing was really racing, and who will be attracted to the their claims that they're helping save the planet.
The youngsters used to think motor racing was evil. Liberty Media is selling them on the idea that their "green" racing is chic.
F1's caravans to the races on the European continent involve 300+ semi tractors for hauling the teams' gear, 15 tractor-trailers full of tires, and a couple of dozen motor homes, all driving about 160,000 miles a year and burning several hundred thousand gallons of diesel in the process.
And I'm leaving out the yachts teams rent for the GP of Monaco.
For the "fly-away" races, DHL sends between five and seven cargo Boeing 777s, all burning 2 million+ gallons of jet fuel.
Plus the fans. F1 sold 6.7 million tickets to events last year. So there had to be several million more gallons of fossil fuels burned by fans getting to and from the races.
And Liberty Media is convincing these nitwits they're going to save the planet by running twenty-ish race cars on $800 a gallon man-made fuel.
Fuel suppliers are Exxon Mobil (Ford, which is an oddity because typically Ford is BP), Shell (Ferrari and Audi), Aramco (Honda), and Petronas (Mercedes). They are different than the alcohol in INDYCAR and closer to what they used in Super GT in Japan for years.
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