FIA announces 2025 F1 rule changes, 2026 tweaks outlined

The FIA has unveiled a series of tweaks to the 2025 Formula 1 regulations governing driver cooling and the application of DRS, and has also revealed revised regulations for 2026.

Following the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council in Rwanda, the expected inclusion of driver cooling – denoted by new “heat hazard” regulations when temperatures at races exceed a certain level – has been ratified along with more stringent rules for DRS.

The new rules dictate that, once the FIA’s official weather radars predict temperatures over 30.5C (or when called by the race director prior to an event, a ‘heat hazard’ will be declared.

This will require the teams to equip the drivers with their cooling systems, and the minimum weight will be raised to 5kg as a result for the full weekend to compensate for the increased mass of driver equipment.

Furthermore, the slot gaps for the rear wing between the two modes of the DRS have been changed, with the minimum gap reduced presumably to cover off any attempts to replicate the “mini-DRS” trick used by McLaren in 2024.

This was a solution where the wing slot gap opened marginally on the straights to reduce drag, most notably seen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the rear wing of the two MCL38 cars.

The minimum gap has shrunk from 10-15mm to 9.4-13mm and, with DRS open, the upper boundary remains at 85mm. The FIA has also tightened up the rules on the DRS modes, stating that there must only be two positions – and that ending the application of DRS must return the wing exactly as defined to the initial mode.

For 2026, the regulations governing the application of active aerodynamics have been fully clarified, along with the floor body dimensions. A smattering of smaller changes to the aero package for 2026 has also been detailed.

The active aero rules now fully clarify that there may be two affected flaps on the front wing, which are required to enter two different modes – one for cornering, one for straight-line use. This includes physical stops to stop the wing elements from rotating more than the required amount.

The FIA’s renders released earlier also show that small winglets may now be applied to the outside of the front wing endplates.

The rear wing regulations have also changed; having previously mandated that teams must use three elements to form the rear wing, this has been amended to “up to three” – allowing two-element rear wings to remain.

This has also changed the active aerodynamics regulations to fit both two and three element wings, where all except the bottom mainplane element can be rotated.

In addition, the scope of the floor has been opened; a floor sidewall has been detailed, along with winglet and fence bodywork, to overall increase the downforce generated by the new design.

The bodywork around the wheels has also been modified, with deflectors and a ‘debris guard’ added to the regulations – with revised wheel drum regulations to match the new additions.

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