The FIA has revealed that, after the latest F1 Commission meeting, a reduction in overall race distance for next season has been approved.

Alongside that, there is also a planned end to the rule of a maximum two-hour race to be held in a three-hour window, offering more leeway to see a full race if there are interruptions.

FIA confirms F1 2027 race distance reduction approved

Following the latest meeting of the F1 Commission, a reduction of overall race distance has been approved from 305km to 290km, which would equate to around two or three laps, dependent on the circuit. The unique 260km race distance in Monaco is set to remain.

This change is due to previously-agreed tweaks to power unit structure in 2027, which is increasing fuel flow in order to increase the amount of internal combustion power available to drivers – going towards an approximate 58-42 split compared to electric power.

These changes were agreed after initial criticism of the 2026 power unit regulations, as teams and stakeholders looked to reduce the need for superclipping and recharging – offering the drivers more opportunity to push at full-throttle through the course of a lap.

That increase in fuel flow has come with the fuel tank size staying the same, which in turn now means a slight reduction in race distance so as to avoid significant hardware changes over a short timeframe.

Separately, gearbox homologation has been removed for the 2027 season, after consultation with the Sporting Advisory Committee, in order to “preserve supplier development freedom”.

Minor changes to the 2027 Technical Regulations have also been agreed, as well as the 2026 Sporting and Financial Regulations, which though all proposals will be subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

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Three-hour race limit removed, ‘hard stop’ to remain

Previous regulations had allowed for a maximum of a two-hour race within a three-hour window, having previously been a four-hour window until 2021.

The maximum of a two-hour race will remain into next season once the flag drops, but the overall time window in which race stoppages through bad weather and red flag periods occur has been removed.

While a ‘hard stop time’ will be put on the day’s events, the FIA says this change is “to ensure that the spectators have the best possible chance to enjoy a full race if disruptions occur.”

An agreement has also been reached to offer ‘greater flexibility’ in extending free practice sessions for similar reasons.

The longest-ever race from start to finish sits at four hours and four minutes, when Jenson Button won a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix in 2011. Should this regulation change be voted through, that record could feasibly be broken in future if a similarly heavily rain-interrupted race occurs.

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