The International Automobile Federation (FIA) is preparing serious changes to the financial rules in Formula 1, which should come into force from 2027. The main goal is to cut off the possibilities of circumventing the budget cap through technological projects and other activities developed by the companies behind the racing teams.
The changes will affect organizations such as Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari, which develop activities beyond the immediate preparation of the cars for the world championship. The FIA wants to ensure that resources used by racing teams are accounted for correctly and are not transferred between different divisions to circumvent financial restrictions.
According to the information, a new 12-page chapter will be added to the operational regulations. It provides for a strict separation of employees working on the Formula 1 program from staff in other divisions of the respective companies.
Production bases will have to have areas with controlled electronic access. Data on entries and exits will be stored for three years so that they can be checked by the FIA if necessary.
The use of common infrastructure, including wind tunnels and simulators, will remain permitted. However, this will be under strict conditions - without the simultaneous presence of employees from different divisions and without the exchange of information between them.
The restrictions will also cover information technology. The computer systems and databases of the racing teams must be completely isolated from those of other activities. Common areas, such as dining rooms, can only be used for relaxation, and not for business meetings or information sharing.
The proposed measures also provide for serious restrictions on the movement of personnel between different divisions of a company.
An employee who moves from another technology project to the Formula 1 team will have to go through a three-month period during which he will not work and will not have access to the relevant databases. After that, he will be required to sign a 12-month contract, binding him entirely to the racing division.
A mechanism is also envisaged against the artificial release of funds from the budget ceiling. If an employee leaves a Formula 1 team and moves to another division, their remuneration costs will continue to be counted within the budget limit for another year.
With these changes, the FIA is seeking to limit the possibilities for using common resources in a way that would give a financial advantage to certain teams. The idea is to put all participants on as equal terms as possible, regardless of the scale of the technological and industrial activities of the companies behind them.
If the new rules are introduced in the form described, from 2027 the major Formula 1 organizations will have to ensure an even clearer distinction between their racing programs and their other projects. This will increase administrative requirements and control over internal processes, but according to the intended goal, it will make compliance with the budget ceiling more transparent and verifiable.