Formula 1 · Sporting rules 2026 / Article B5
Starts
FIA · 2026 · Issue 09In short
Formation laps, lights and departures from the pit lane.
Formation and standing start
Drivers follow the formation procedure and return to their allocated grid places. Overtaking on the formation lap is allowed only in specified delayed-car situations to restore order. At a standing start, the signal is the extinction of the red lights. Cars must remain correctly positioned and stationary during the prescribed pre-start interval.
Problems and conditions
A driver immobilised on the grid must signal the problem. Race control may delay or abort the start, order extra formation laps, or use Safety Car formation procedures. Conditions determine whether a standing or rolling start is used. Pit-lane starters follow their separate release procedure after the field passes.
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 ↗