FIA set to introduce 'Operational Regulations' for Formula One
With the World Motor Sport Council having staged its final meeting this year, the FIA has unveiled a new section of regulations that will be introduced alongside with the arrival of the brand-new F1 cars in 2026.
The final meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council was staged on 11 December, taking place in Kigali, Rwanda. As usual, the meeting was chaired by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with WMSC members joining in person and via video conference.
In his opening address, the Ben Sulayem lauded 2024 as a year of progression and a strengthened Federation, noting significant investment from the FIA across global grassroots activities alongside substantial research and development in the safety, volunteers, and officials spaces. In addition, the President reported on major progress since the previous WMSC gathering which took place in October.
As for Formula One, a raft of updates were revealed that will be introduced either next year or in 2026, with the latter season set to kick-start a new era for the sport.
As far as the 2025 F1 season is concerned, the Council has approved the introduction of the driver cooling device, which will find its way into the regulations under the ‘Heat Hazard’ ruling.
Moreover, a number of updates to the 2025 and 2026 Financial Regulations were approved to include an expanded definition of ‘Sustainability Initiatives’ that are excluded from the cost cap to encourage the continued push towards greater environmental sustainability.
In addition, the FIA has also revealed a new section of rules for the 2026 F1 season, called ‘Operational Regulations’, which will include several points under the Sporting Regulations to regulate the activities of F1 teams outside the track.
The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved a refined version of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 concept. #FIA #F1 pic.twitter.com/Epn7kfdbgC
— FIA (@fia) December 12, 2024
FIA's statement read: "The FIA President, together with the President and CEO of FOM, Stefano Domenicali, reflected on a hugely successful season in 2024, which was the longest in the history of the sport. The productivity of the single-seater pyramid, which stretches from Karting through to Formula 1, was highlighted, with no fewer than four drivers stepping up from the FIA Formula 2 Championship into Formula 1 in 2025.
"Minor updates to the 2025 Sporting and Technical Regulations were approved by the World Council, including the finalisation of ‘Heat Hazard’ regulations which mandates the use of a driver cooling kit under certain, extreme weather conditions. This device was developed in collaboration between the FIA and the F1 teams over the past year.
"A number of updates to the 2025 and 2026 Financial Regulations were approved to include an expanded definition of ‘Sustainability Initiatives’ that are excluded from the cost cap to encourage the continued push towards greater environmental sustainability.
"Updates to the 2026 Sporting Regulations were updated to reflect changes already approved for 2025, in addition to the adoption of gender-neutral language throughout.
"The 2026 Technical Regulations have also been refined, ahead of teams being able to work on the aerodynamics for the first time beginning on 1 January 2025.
"A new section of regulations is being created for 2026 called Operational Regulations, aiming to regulate certain F1 Team activities that take place away from the race weekend. For this initial version of these regulations, certain elements that have historically been included in the Sporting Regulations have been transferred, such as limitations to aerodynamic testing, power unit testing and mandatory shutdown periods."
