Formula 1 · Sporting rules 2026 / Article B4
Practice and qualifying procedures
FIA · 2026 · Issue 09In short
Interruptions, obstruction and assistance in lap-time sessions.
Stopping a session
Unnecessary stopping or obstruction can be penalised. A red flag requires immediate slowing and a careful return to the pits while respecting the FIA minimum-time checks. Race control may interrupt a session whenever necessary for safety and orderly running; a VSC can also neutralise these sessions.
Assistance and remaining time
A car stopped outside the pit lane during qualifying or Sprint Qualifying cannot continue that session after receiving physical assistance. Qualifying interruptions normally preserve remaining running time, subject to the rule allowing a period to end when no new timed lap can be started. Practice-extension rules differ and are not an automatic guarantee.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Three supplied FIA documents, with different seasons: general provisions 2026 (Issue 03, 25/06/2026), sporting rules 2026 (Issue 09, 01/10/2026), and technical rules 2027 (Issue 3, 01/10/2026). Read each section for its stated season. Future changes are identified separately. Independent condensed explanations; the supplied PDFs remain the source.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗