April 29, 2024

Following analysis and consultation between drivers, officials, and stewards over the past year, a set of Driving Standards Guidelines has been produced by the FIA Drivers’ Committee in partnership with the FIA’s Circuit Commission and Safety Department.

The guidelines will apply to all categories of circuit racing, from grassroots to World Championship competitions, providing for the first time a globally consistent reference point to support not only drivers as they develop throughout their careers but also race officials and stewards.

Ronan Morgan, President of the Drivers’ Committee, formerly known as the Drivers’ Commission, explained: “As the governing body of international motor sport, the FIA is responsible for a wide variety of circuit racing championships around the world. Consistently policing them all can therefore be a complicated task.”

“The objective behind these new Driving Standards Guidelines is to streamline and standardize the protocols in those championships by forming the basis for decisions made by event officials. We want to incentivize overtaking while clamping down on dangerous defending and minimize any ‘grey areas’ that may previously have caused confusion. The guidelines similarly stress the importance of strictness in applying the rules in the lower formulae in particular—something that we believe is essential when it comes to junior driver development and safeguarding the future of our sport.”

The Guidelines will be presented to the World Motor Sport Council, and from January 1, 2025, they will be integrated within Appendix L of the International Sporting Code.