F1: Decisions made at World Motor Sport Council Meeting
The FIA World Motor Sport Council convened for its second meeting of 2023 at the Palacio de Congresos in Cordoba, Spain.
The meeting was hosted by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid, and WMSC members joining in person and via video link. The meeting was held as part of the annual FIA Conference week.
The FIA President said, “In Formula 1, we are progressing well with the review of 2022 Financial Regulations submissions and the call for Expression of Interest from potential new teams. In WRC, we have committed to an action plan to invigorate the championship. All Council Members have a vested interest in ensuring that the sport of rallying is thriving at all levels.”
The following is a summary of decisions taken at today’s WMSC meeting:
FIA Formula One World Championship
Following the ongoing work of the relevant Committees and Working Groups and approval by the Power Unit manufacturers, the World Council ratified several refinements to the 2026 Power Unit Regulations. In relation to those PU Regulations, the World Council also approved the following single suppliers for the period 2026-2030, following the completion of the Invitation to Tender process:
- F1 knock sensor: Bosch has been appointed as single supplier
- F1 insulation monitoring device: Bender GmbH & Co. KG has been appointed as single supplier
Safety at FIA events
A number of safety and security issues at events were raised during the meeting. There have been incidents of crowd invasions at the Australian Grand Prix in March and another incident of guests remaining on the edge of the starting grid during the Formation Lap at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month.
The World Council is awaiting the findings of the review into the track invasion at the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix requested by the stewards of the event. The promoter, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, will submit the report by the end of June. A remediation plan that addresses the safety and security concerns will be part of that report.
In relation to the incident at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, the FIA President stressed that protecting the health and well-being of everyone on the grid – guests, officials and teams was the FIA’s priority.
The FIA President said: “We must take learnings from the incident at the Spanish Grand Prix. The FIA has been assured by Stefano Domenicali (CEO of Formula 1), that measures are being taken to ensure that there is no repeat of the incident.
“It is an issue not just in Formula 1 but also in Formula E and World Endurance Championship and other categories from my recent experiences with too many people on the grid at some events. I have no doubt that in all cases, the promoter will adhere to the FIA requirements on safety and security. It is the duty of the FIA to ensure a safe environment for all. Safety in motor sport is the Federation’s main priority.”
FIA Formula 2 Championship
Minor updates to the Sporting and Technical Regulations were approved. For regulatory stability and cost-saving reasons, the life cycle of the next generation of chassis will be increased from three to six years, so that for FIA Formula 2 the new chassis spec will be operational from 2024 to 2029, and in Formula 3 from 2025 to 2030. The duration of the associated chassis single supply will be aligned with these life cycles.