F1 cuts maximum grand prix distance by 15km for 2027 season

Formula 1 has announced the maximum race distance for grands prix will be reduced by 15km from 305km (189.5 miles) to 290km (180.2 miles) for the 2027 season, with the new rules set to cover races delayed or disrupted by rain or incidents from 2027.

Grands prix are currently limited to a maximum of two hours of racing, but when there are interruptions caused by rain or accidents a "hard stop time" will replace the current maximum three-hour duration to finish the event, a change the governing body said was aimed at giving organisers greater flexibility to complete disrupted races. A statement from the FIA said: "These changes were introduced to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur." The hard stop time will vary from race to race, depending on local conditions, and at night races there will be more flexibility to allow the race to run later than at a daytime race when there is a relatively early sunset.

The reduction in race distance has been introduced because the ratio of internal combustion to electrical power is changing from 53-47 this year to 58-42 next year, before becoming 60-40 in 2028, which the sport says means the cars will use more fuel. That increased fuel use became a concern when it emerged some teams wanted to carry their chassis over into next year to save money, and because the fuel tank is within the chassis and therefore its size could not be changed this meant those teams might not have been able to finish grands prix with their existing fuel tanks.

At a meeting of the F1 Commission, "a rule-making body composed of the teams, the FIA and commercial rights holder F1," delegates agreed an additional change to practice-session procedures by introducing "greater flexibility to extend free practice sessions should they be interrupted." Under current rules, the clock does not stop in practice sessions in the event of a red flag caused by an incident, unlike in qualifying and races when the competition is suspended.

Separately, F1 has confirmed it will stage 10 sprint races in 2027, including Monaco.

The package of measures was announced by the FIA and agreed by the F1 Commission and will be implemented for the 2027 season alongside the expanded sprint race calendar.