The FIA has moved to combat the much-criticised use of large sections of exposed carbon fibre bodywork on Formula 1 liveries for 2026.
Friday’s F1 Commission meeting included the new rule, mandating “a minimum of 55% of surface area (when viewed from the side and above) must be covered by painted or stickered liveries as opposed to bare carbon fibre surfaces.
“The objective of this measure is to increase visual differentiation between cars.”
F1 teams have come under fire for liveries many considered dull over recent launch seasons, seen as in stark contrast to more colourful grids of recent decades.
A drive to save weight is partly responsible for the lack of paint/stickering in favour of bare carbon, and the minimum weight of F1 cars will be reduced for the new rules cycle next year. That might have encouraged F1 teams to be even more radical with weight saving.
The meeting statement also confirmed that the permanent competition number rule for drivers, introduced in 2014, was discussed.
“It was agreed that a proposal for drivers to change their numbers during their career would be permitted,” it read, although the specifics of that rule weren't provided.
The Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions were also discussed.
The ATR limits how much windtunnel and CFD testing a team can do, based on its position in the constructors' championship during the previous season, with a mid-year reset.
Changes “are being developed to bring Formula 1 into line with contemporary processing and simulation technology while mindful of cost considerations".
Elsewhere, talks on mandating two stops for grand prix was discussed, but no changes were agreed. It will be discussed further during 2026.
Driver cooling systems will also be discussed further after ideas for redesigns to the current system were floated.
No mention was made in the published meeting summary of McLaren’s desire to get clarity on F1 engine usage rules, after the Brazilian Grand Prix, when Red Bull changed Max Verstappen’s engine.
McLaren wants to know if engines changed for a performance gain - rather than just reliability purposes - are included in the cost cap.
