Formula 1 · Sporting rules 2026 / Article B5
Red flags and restarts
FIA · 2026 · Issue 09In short
Suspension, permitted repairs and returning to competition.
When racing stops
A red flag suspending a Sprint or Race prohibits overtaking. Cars slow and queue in the pit lane, or on the grid if directed for safety. Work is restricted to permitted tasks, including tyre changes and genuine accident-damage repairs. Suspension does not create unrestricted freedom to rebuild or refuel the car.
Restart order
For a suspended race, the order is reconstructed from the last point where all positions could be established. Special provisions cover cars in garages or moved out of the queue. Restart procedures use the Safety Car before a standing or rolling resumption. If racing cannot resume, the result uses the prescribed countback rather than the order at the red flag.
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 ↗