F1 reduces maximum distance of races

Formula 1 has announced the maximum race distance for grands prix will be reduced by 15km from 305km to 290km for the 2027 season.

Grands prix are limited to a maximum of two hours of racing, but when there are interruptions caused by rain or accidents, a "hard stop time" will replace the current maximum three-hour duration to finish the event.

The hard stop time will vary from race to race, depending on local conditions. At night races, for example, there will be more flexibility to allow the race to run later than at a daytime race when there is a relatively early sunset.

The reduction in race distance has been introduced because the ratio of internal combustion to electrical power is changing from 53-47 this year to 58-42 next year, before becoming 60-40 in 2028.

This means that the cars will use more fuel, and that became a concern when it emerged that some teams wanted to carry their chassis over into next year to save money.

As the fuel tank is within the chassis and therefore its size could not be changed, this meant those teams might not have been able to finish grands prix with their existing fuel tanks.