Inside the FIA's newly released driving standards document for Formula 1

GPblog have also explained the penalty point document, which was also released. Although both of these have no regulatory value, the guidelines have been shared publicly in a bid to improve transparency.

As part of his statement, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated: "This will give fans and members of the media a much deeper and more accurate insight into how decisions are made in Formula 1. The Penalty Guidelines have been a core tool for almost a decade while the Driving Standards Guidelines introduced in 2022 and constantly updated have brought the most important voices, those of the drivers, to the table to create a genuine reference for certain racing situations.”

The FIA’s driving standards guidelines (not enforceable regulations) offer clarity to stewards, drivers, and fans on how on-track battles are judged.

- They define when an overtaker is entitled to room - inside moves require the front axle alongside the defender’s mirror before the apex; outside moves demand even positioning at the apex.

- Stewards assess each incident holistically, considering late braking, vehicle control, potential for completion within track limits, tyre condition, and track layout.

- Track limit rules are enforced by a “three‑strikes” system during races, allowing limited leeway for loss of control, avoiding collisions, or forced off-track re‑joins.

- Defending is restricted: no weaving under braking, no erratic direction, and safe re-joining is mandatory.

- Post-safety-car restarts demand a controlled, non-dangerous pace from the lead driver.

Introduced in 2022 and refined through 2024-25 with driver and steward input, the core aims of the guidelines across all FIA championships are:

• Safe racing

• Hard and competitive racing

• Fair racing

• Sporting justice

• Consistency across all categories

• Standardization of driving standards and race direction operation across all categories.