Formula 1 (Technical) (FIA) Rules Explained

Overview

F1 teams design, construct, and homologate cars under FIA Technical Regulations. These rules govern what teams can build, covering chassis, aerodynamics, power units, fuel, tyres, electronics, and safety. For 2026, cars become narrower and lighter, with active aerodynamics and a new power unit.

How to win

The Technical Regulations do not govern race scoring (handled by the Sporting Regulations: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 for P1–P10, plus 1 bonus point for fastest lap in top 10)…
The Technical Regulations do not govern race scoring (handled by the Sporting Regulations: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 for P1–P10, plus 1 bonus point for fastest lap in top 10).

The game

2026 grid — Ten constructor teams field two cars each, for 20 drivers; FIA technical officials enforce regulations.
2026 grid — 10 constructor teams field two cars each, totaling 20 drivers.
Driver allocation — Each car has one driver; each team may also have a reserve driver.
The Technical Delegate, scrutineers, and technical commissioners enforce FIA Technical Regulations.

Section 1: Introduction

The FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations (Section C of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Regulations) define what teams may build: fundamental dimensions, mass, bodywork and adjustable aerodynamics, the power unit and its energy flows, fuel, tyres, electronics, and safety structures. Formula 1 cars must comply with these regulations in their entirety at all times during a Competition (Article C1.3). Race procedure, sporting penalties and financial rules live in other sections of the FIA F1 Regulations; see the sibling FIA Sporting Regulations entry for race-day procedure.

This page reflects Issue 20 (5 August 2026, approved by the WMSC on 3 August 2026). Changes from Issue 19 that touch this page: the floor to which the per-lap Recharge limit may be cut for Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying fell from 5MJ to 4MJ (Article C5.2.10); the Race/Sprint sector power curve and the Low Grip power curves now apply "during any power limited period" (Article C5.2.8); and fuel approval was extended to Pre-Season Public Collective Testing, alongside a new 1% m/m cap on components outside the defined compound classes (Articles C16.3.3, C16.4).

Section 2: Equipment

Chassis: single-seat car built around a Survival Cell, with a Secondary Roll Structure (Halo) made to FIA standard 8869-2018 and supplied by an FIA designated manufacturer (Article C12.4.2)
Minimum mass: 724 kg plus the Nominal Tyre Mass, or 726 kg plus the Nominal Tyre Mass during Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying; increased by the Heat Hazard Mass Increase when a Heat Hazard is declared (Article C4.1)
Width: except for the tyres, Wheel Rims and parts attached to them, no part of the car may lie more than 950 mm from the centre plane Y=0, i.e. 1900 mm maximum overall width (Article C2.3.1)
Wheelbase: must be less than or equal to 3400 mm at Legality Setup (Article C2.3.3)
Power unit: four-stroke, 1600cc (+0/−10cc), six cylinders in a 90° V (Articles C5.1.1, C5.1.2, C5.1.3), pressure-charged by a single Turbo Charger (Article C5.3.1); the absolute electrical DC power of the ERS-K may not exceed 350 kW (Article C5.2.7)
Fuel: Advanced Sustainable (AS) fuel comprising solely AS components (Article C16.1.2), except that a non-sustainable additive and denaturant package of no more than 1.0% m/m of the blended fuel may be used (Article C16.3.5)
Tyres: specification determined by the appointed tyre supplier in agreement with the FIA (Article C10.8.2); tyres must be used as supplied, with no cutting, grooving, solvents or softeners (Article C10.8.1), and may only be inflated with air or nitrogen (Article C10.8.3)
Aerodynamics: FIA Standard ECU-controlled front wing flaps and rear wing flap that switch between a "Corner Mode" position and a lower-incidence "Straight Mode" position (Articles C3.10.10, C3.11.6)

Section 3: Playing Area

Circuit standards, the calendar and pit lane speed limits are not set by Section C, which regulates the car; they are covered by circuit homologation and the Sporting Regulations
No refuelling during a race: fuel may not be added to nor removed from a car during a Race (Article C6.4.4)
A cover must be fitted over any refuelling connector at all times when the car is running on the track (Article C6.4.1)
Tyre blankets may only use resistive heating elements acting on the outer tyre surface, with no more than three temperature-controllable zones per blanket (Article C10.8.4)

Section 4: Players & Officials

Each Competitor must satisfy the FIA and the stewards that its car complies with these regulations at all times during a Competition; for power units the duty extends to the PU Manufacturer (Article C1.5)
The FIA technical delegate establishes the driver's reference mass (Article C4.5.1) and selects the dry-weather tyres used for weighing when a car is not already fitted with them (Article C4.1)
The stewards may prohibit the participation of a car whose construction is deemed dangerous, with immediate effect if this becomes apparent during a session (Article C1.2)
Clarification of a new design or system may be sought from the FIA Formula One Technical Department (Article C1.3), and CAD models may be requested by the FIA to check compliance (Article C1.5)
Article C13 defines the safety structures and the homologation processes that every car eligible to race must satisfy (Article C13.1.1)

Section 5: Rules of Play

Power Unit Architecture (2026)

Only the engine and the ERS-K may propel the car and/or Recharge energy (Article C5.2.1), and the energy of the Turbo Charger's rotating parts may not be transferred to any other component (Article C5.3.1), so there is no MGU-H
Fuel energy flow must not exceed 3000 MJ/h, with no cylinder exceeding 550 MJ/h under normal operating conditions (Article C5.2.3)
The difference between the maximum and minimum Energy Store state of charge may not exceed 4 MJ while the car is on track (Article C5.2.9)
Recharge must not exceed 8.5 MJ per lap, reducible to 7 MJ at some Competitions and, from Issue 20, to no less than 4 MJ (previously 5 MJ) for Sprint Qualifying and Qualifying (Article C5.2.10)
MGU-K mechanical torque may not exceed 500 Nm (Article C5.2.11); at a standing start the MGU-K may only be used once the car has reached 50 km/h (Article C5.2.12)
Compression ratio (Article C5.4.3): no cylinder may have a geometric compression ratio higher than 16.0. Until 31 May 2026 this was measured with the Engine at ambient temperature; from 1 June 2026 to 31 December 2026 it is measured both at ambient temperature and with the Engine at 130°C, and any component, assembly, mechanism, or integrated arrangement of components designed or functioning to increase the compression ratio in operating conditions beyond 16.0 is prohibited.
Low Grip conditions (Articles C5.2.8, C5.12.4, C5.2.10): specific power curves, detailed in FIA-F1-DOC-111, are used in Low Grip conditions during any power limited period; a minimum power reduction of 250 kW is imposed in the specified circuit sectors during the Race and Sprint Session; and no Recharge limit applies to laps behind the safety car in Low Grip conditions. When Overtake and Boost may be used is governed by the Sporting Regulations (Article B7.2), not by Section C.

Aerodynamics

Front wing flap adjustment is driven by up to two actuators and must complete the switch between Corner Mode and Straight Mode within 400 ms; on failure the system must return to Corner Mode (Article C3.10.10)
The rear wing flap is driven by a single actuator, with the same 400 ms transition limit and fail-safe return to Corner Mode (Article C3.11.6)
The flaps may only be deployed when the car is stationary or fully inside an Activation Zone defined in the Sporting Regulations (Articles C3.10.10, C3.11.6)
Floor bodywork and the Plank Assembly are prescribed by reference volumes and dedicated rules (Articles C3.5, C3.6)

Materials & Construction

The Survival Cell and its impact structures must pass the frontal impact, roll structure, survival cell load, side impact, front impact and rear impact tests (Articles C13.2 to C13.7)
All materials used must be commercially available (Article C15.1.3)

Section 6: Scoring

Section C awards no points; championship scoring is set out in the Sporting Regulations. Technically, compliance is binary: a car must comply with these regulations in their entirety at all times during a Competition (Article C1.3).

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Underweight: at all times during the Competition, Car Mass must not be less than the Minimum Mass (Article C4.1)
Unapproved fuel: no fuel may be used in a Competition or for Pre-Season Public Collective Testing without the prior written approval of the FIA (Article C16.4.2)
Dangerous construction: the stewards may prohibit the car from participating (Article C1.2)
Penalties for non-compliance, power unit allocations, parc fermé and cost-cap breaches are set by the Sporting and Financial Regulations and the stewards, not by Section C

Section 8: Safety Considerations

The Halo (Secondary Roll Structure) must be made to FIA standard 8869-2018 (Article C12.4.2), and its attachments are load-tested, the centreline test applying 130.1 kN vertically downward and 51.6 kN rearward (Article C13.3.2).

The sides and lower surfaces of the Survival Cell must meet intrusion-protection requirements to protect the driver and the fuel bladder in an impact (Article C12.3).

For accident analysis, each car must carry an FIA ADR, an external 500g accelerometer and a high-speed camera, and each driver must wear in-ear accelerometers and biometric devices (Article C8.9).

Each car carries a cockpit fire-extinguishing system approved to FIA Standard 8876-2022 (Article C14.1); each wheel is fitted with three tethers compliant with FIA standard 8864-2022 (Article C14.4.1); and the safety harness must be homologated to FIA Standard 8853-2016 (Article C14.5). Driver clothing, helmets and on-site medical services are regulated outside Section C.

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Overview

How to win

The game

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OpenSourceSports

Section 1: Introduction

Section 2: Equipment

Section 3: Playing Area

Section 4: Players & Officials

Section 5: Rules of Play

Power Unit Architecture (2026)

Aerodynamics

Materials & Construction

Section 6: Scoring

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Playing the ball

Fouls & penalties

Equipment

Verification

Recent Changes(last 30 days)

Version History(4)

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