FIA tightens team separation rules for 2027

The FIA has significantly tightened the rules governing how Formula 1 teams share staff, facilities and information with other divisions of their parent companies from 2027.

The newly published operational regulations create much stricter physical and IT separation between F1 work and non-F1 activities, aimed at preventing teams from gaining undeclared benefits outside the budget cap.

That could particularly affect manufacturer-backed teams whose engineers or facilities have traditionally been shared across projects such as Formula E, WEC or road-car development.

The regulations state: "In no circumstances may IT Outputs generated by members of the Restricted Non-F1 Workforce be shared with members of the Restricted F1 Workforce."

They also make internal staff transfers considerably more cumbersome.

An employee moving away from F1 into another restricted operation must remain there "for a period of time not less than 12 consecutive months", while movement in the opposite direction carries a minimum three-month separation period.

Another detail buried in the newly published regulations confirms that Formula 1’s shortened races will not last long.

The standard Grand Prix distance drops from 305km to 290km in 2027, but the approved 2028 changes restore the traditional 305km minimum, with Monaco retaining its shorter exception.

That makes the 2027 reduction effectively a one-season measure, avoiding the need for teams to redesign cars around substantially larger fuel capacity before the normal race length returns a year later.