Car and power unit limits
FIA · 2026 · Issue 09Car availability, sealed components and season allowances are controlled.
Cars and component pools
Teams have a limited number of cars available, with a controlled exception for approved survival-cell replacement after genuine damage or serious failure. Power-unit elements must match the approved homologation dossier and be sealed. Seasonal allowances differ by component and include specified additional allowances. A replacement driver inherits the original driver’s component usage.
Penalties and seals
Exceeding an element allowance produces cumulative race-grid penalties when the extra elements are first used. Leaving the pit lane counts as use. Seals restrict rebuilding, replacement and running between events. Only specified exemptions and FIA-supervised work avoid the relevant component penalty; replacing a component is not automatically free of sporting consequences.
Sources & approach ↗