Section 5: Rules of Play
5.1 Race Weekend Format — Sporting Regulations, Article B2
The standard 2026 Formula One race weekend consists of three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) with the following session structure:
- Friday: Practice 1 (FP1) — 60 minutes; Practice 2 (FP2) — 60 minutes
- Saturday: Practice 3 (FP3) — 60 minutes; Qualifying (Q1/Q2/Q3)
- Sunday: Race
At Alternative Format Competitions (Sprint weekends), FP2 and FP3 are replaced by a Sprint Qualifying session and a Sprint session. Qualifying at an Alternative Format Competition starts no less than three and no more than four hours after the end of the Sprint (Article B2.4.1b).
5.2 Qualifying Format — Sporting Regulations, Article B2.4
Qualifying determines the grid order for the race using a three-segment knock-out format. The procedure is based upon twenty-two (22) F1 Cars being eligible to take part (Article B2.4.2), reflecting the 2026 grid of eleven constructors:
- Q1 (18 minutes): All 22 cars participate. The six (6) slowest cars are eliminated and start the race from positions 17–22 in the order of their Q1 times; the sixteen remaining cars' Q1 times are then deleted.
- Q2 (15 minutes, after a 7-minute break): The remaining 16 cars participate. The six (6) slowest cars are eliminated and start from positions 11–16; the ten remaining cars' Q2 times are then deleted.
- Q3 (12 minutes): The remaining 10 cars participate. Grid positions 1–10 are set by Q3 lap times.
Article B2.4.2 also sets out fallback elimination counts should a different number of cars be eligible at a given Competition — for example, five cars are eliminated per segment where twenty cars are eligible, or seven where twenty-four are eligible.
Tyre parc fermé begins at the start of Q3. Cars that participate in Q3 must start the race on the tyres used to set their fastest Q2 lap time. Cars exiting in Q1 or Q2 have free tyre choice for the race start (Article 24.6.d).
5.3 Parc Fermé — Sporting Regulations, Articles B3.5 and B3.6
Parc fermé conditions apply from the start of Qualifying until the start of the race. Under parc fermé, no work may be carried out on the car except that which is specifically permitted, including work required for safety reasons approved by the FIA Technical Delegate, changing a complete Power Unit (under PU allocation rules), and changing tyres between qualifying and the race.
5.4 Race Start Procedure — Sporting Regulations, Article B5
The pre-race procedure follows a defined sequence:
- A notification board is shown to indicate the number of minutes to the formation lap. Pit lane opens at this time.
- One minute before the formation lap, the pit lane exit closes. Cars must leave the grid for the formation lap no later than this signal.
- During the formation lap, drivers proceed at reduced speed and must respect the Pit Lane speed limit until they pass pole position; overtaking is only permitted if a car is delayed and cannot otherwise be avoided (Article B5.6).
- Cars take their grid positions. Once all cars are stationary, the five red lights illuminate one by one. When all five lights are on, the start signal is given by extinguishing all five lights simultaneously.
- If a driver's F1 Car is immobilised on the grid, they must raise their hands above their head, marshals wave yellow flags for that row, and the car is pushed into the Pit Lane once the Race Director deems it safe (Article B5.7.1).
5.5 Pit Stops — Sporting Regulations, Article B6
There is no mandatory pit stop requirement under most race conditions; however, the tyre regulations require that a driver who starts the race on dry-weather tyres uses at least two different dry-weather tyre specifications during the race, effectively mandating a minimum of one pit stop in dry conditions. Under wet race conditions, this obligation may be waived by the Race Director (Article 24.6.a).
During a pit stop:
- The car must not be released from its Designated Pit Stop Position in a way that could endanger Pit Lane personnel or another driver, or that is likely to cause damage (Article B1.6.2). Release into an unsafe gap may result in a penalty.
- All wheel guns and release mechanisms must confirm it is safe before the car is released.
- Refuelling during the race is prohibited. This has been the rule since the 2010 season (Article 28.11).
5.6 Overtaking and Racing Conduct — Sporting Regulations, Article B1.8
A driver may use any part of the track (within the defined track limits) during the race. Key conduct rules include:
- At no time may an F1 Car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically, or in a manner that could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person (Article B1.8.5).
- Drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason (Article B1.8.6).
- Under Article B1.8.1, the driver must drive the F1 Car alone and unaided.
5.7 Safety Car Procedures — Sporting Regulations, Article B5.13
The Safety Car (SC) is deployed when conditions are not suitable for racing but do not warrant a race suspension. Upon SC deployment:
- SC boards or lights are shown at all marshal posts and on the Marshalling System panels in cockpits.
- All cars must reduce speed and form a queue behind the SC. No overtaking is permitted except in specific exempted circumstances, such as when the message "LAPPED CARS MAY NOW OVERTAKE" has been sent (Article B5.13.4).
- Cars may pit freely during an SC period, subject to the Pit Lane speed limit.
- Once the Race Director decides it is safe to end the SC period, the message "SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP" is sent and the SC's orange lights are extinguished, signalling it will enter the Pit Lane at the end of that lap (Article B5.13.6).
5.8 Virtual Safety Car — Sporting Regulations, Article B5.12
The Virtual Safety Car (VSC) procedure allows neutralisation of a session for short periods without deploying the physical Safety Car. When the VSC is deployed, the message "VSC DEPLOYED" is sent to all Competitors and all FIA light panels display "VSC." All competing cars must reduce speed and stay above a minimum time set by the FIA ECU in each marshalling sector and at the safety car lines; overtaking is prohibited except in defined circumstances such as entering or leaving the pits (Article B4.1.4 / B5.12).
5.9 Race Suspension and Restart — Sporting Regulations, Article B5.14
The Race Director may suspend the race (red flag) if the track is blocked or conditions are dangerous. Red flags are shown at the start/finish line and at all marshal posts, and the message "RED FLAG - RACE SUSPENDED" is sent to all Competitors. All cars must immediately reduce speed, overtaking is forbidden, and cars must proceed to the Pit Lane (Article B5.14.2). If the race cannot be resumed, results are taken at the end of the penultimate lap before the lap during which the suspension signal was given.
5.10 Race Distance and Duration — Sporting Regulations, Article B2.5
The race distance is the least number of complete laps that exceeds 305 km, except at Monaco, where it is the least number of complete laps that exceeds 260 km (Article B2.5.2). The base race duration is two (2) hours from the start signal; should the race be suspended, the suspension time is added to this period up to a maximum total race duration of three (3) hours (Article B2.5.3). The race is classified provisionally once the leading car has completed the scheduled distance or, where applicable, the time limit has elapsed. Cars that have covered less than 90% of the number of laps covered by the winner (rounded down to the nearest whole lap) are not classified (Article B2.5.5).