Formula 1 plans to remove gearbox homologation for 2027, giving manufacturers and suppliers more freedom to develop transmission systems during the new regulatory cycle.
The change was agreed at the Formula 1 Commission meeting held at the FIA's London offices on 21 September 2026. It remains subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The FIA said the decision followed consultation with the relevant manufacturer working group and a recommendation from the Sporting Advisory Committee. Its published reason was to preserve supplier development freedom.
Homologation restriction is set to end
Homologation normally fixes an approved specification and limits the scope for changes outside defined conditions. Removing that requirement can widen the development window for gearbox manufacturers, Formula 1 teams and the specialist companies supporting design, manufacture, testing and validation.
The FIA statement does not publish the detailed regulatory wording, cost treatment or any limits that will replace homologation. It also does not identify individual suppliers or say whether component-life requirements will change. Those details will determine how much practical freedom the decision creates and whether it changes procurement or development schedules.
The Commission also agreed minor changes to the 2027 Technical Regulations, but the FIA did not enumerate them in the media statement. No financial impact was disclosed.
Race distance falls to 290 kilometres
The same meeting approved a reduction in standard race distance from 305 kilometres to 290 kilometres for 2027. The FIA linked the adjustment to refinements in the power-unit rules governing fuel flow and said it should remove two or three laps from a typical Grand Prix.
The exact lap reduction will vary by circuit because race distance is converted into a whole number of laps. The statement does not say that every event will lose the same distance or describe any exceptions.
For teams and technical suppliers, the shorter target distance will feed into fuel, energy, thermal, tyre and strategy models. It does not by itself establish whether cars will run at a higher pace or whether component duty cycles will materially change; those outcomes depend on the final rules and event conditions.
Revised timing for disrupted events
The Commission also agreed to introduce a hard stop for the end of racing activity when weather or other disruption affects an event. At the same time, it plans to remove the current three-hour limit measured from the race start through interruptions. The existing maximum of two hours of actual racing will remain.
The FIA said this is intended to give spectators the best possible chance of seeing a full race. The published summary does not define the hard-stop time or explain how it will be set for different events.
Greater flexibility to extend interrupted free-practice sessions was also agreed. That can affect broadcast schedules, circuit operations, staffing and support-series timetables, although the statement does not provide the conditions or maximum extension.
All of the 2027 changes require World Motor Sport Council approval. Until the final regulations are published, the confirmed position is a Commission agreement rather than an operative rule.