The Formula 1 Commission met in London to approve several major changes for the 2027 season, notably validating the addition of a fourth day of pre-season testing and a tightening of the rules surrounding private testing with older cars.
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The second meeting of the year for the F1 Commission was held in the London offices of the FIA.
These discussions follow the first constructive exchanges that took place last February, on the sidelines of the pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Although the technical revolution expected for 2026 is still on everyone’s lips, the governing bodies have chosen to anticipate what comes next.
At the end of the debates, the federation issued an official statement detailing adjustments already approved for 2027.
These measures concern both the Sporting and Technical regulations of the discipline.
A breath of fresh air for development in F1
The flagship measure of this meeting directly concerns the teams’ winter preparation.
Until now, the grid had to deal with an extremely limited testing schedule, restricted to only three short days on track.
The Commission finally unanimously approved the move to four days of pre-season testing for 2027.
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This decision responds to an unassailable logic from the manufacturers. With the introduction of brand new cars and engines in 2026, engineers will imperatively need to run. This bonus day will offer a welcome safety net to the teams to correct course and maximize data collection.
Furthermore, slight tweaks to the bodywork have also been approved to refine the aerodynamics of this future generation.
Private testing (TPC) firmly regulated
Beyond official testing, the F1 Commission looked into the case of “Testing of Previous Cars” (TPC).
These private sessions allow teams to run cars at least two years old. They are generally used to perfect the training of young drivers or to maintain the pace of the regular drivers.
From now on, these runs will face a serious geographical restriction. It will indeed be forbidden to conduct these TPC sessions on circuits listed on the calendar of the following year’s championship.
With this move, the FIA aims to put an end to any attempt at abusive optimization. No team will be allowed to gather crucial telemetry data on a circuit a few months before a Grand Prix.
As tradition dictates, all of these proposals must receive the final stamp from the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
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