Formula 1 Confirms Shorter Races for 2027 Season

Following yesterday's meeting of the FIA Formula 1 Commission, it was confirmed that Grand Prix races will be shortened from 305 to 290 kilometers starting in 2027.

This decision stems from previously adopted changes to power unit regulations. These changes involve an increase in fuel flow, which will lead to higher consumption and, consequently, necessitate larger fuel tanks.

However, many teams intend to use their current chassis next year to save costs, which would make it impossible to increase the volume of their fuel tanks. For this reason, this compromise has been reached, which is expected to be for one year only before the race distance returns to 305 kilometers from the 2028 season. Thus, in 2027, races will be between 2 and 3 laps shorter compared to the current format.

Another significant change approved relates to the overall time duration of races. The current three-hour total limit has been removed. Instead, a definitive end time will be set for a race to conclude if it is suspended at any point due to adverse weather conditions or other factors. The races themselves will still be capped at a maximum of two hours, not including red flag interruptions. Additionally, the Race Director will be granted greater flexibility to extend practice sessions if they are interrupted.

The final change concerns gearboxes, which will no longer be homologated. This will allow individual manufacturers to freely continue developing their transmissions throughout each season.

All these changes must also be ratified by the FIA World Motorsport Council, whose next meeting is scheduled for October 15th. In most cases, however, this is a formality, and the changes are not expected to be rejected.