F1 teams back plan for shorter Grand Prix distances in 2027

F1 teams have unanimously backed plans to shorten Grand Prix distances as part of a continued effort to reduce the energy-starved nature of some races.

The new regulations introduced for the 2026 season saw a massive shift in the power units, with a 50-50 split of power coming from the internal combustion engine [ICE] and the electrical element. This has resulted in cars being energy-starved at some tracks, with Monza set to highlight this issue perhaps to the greatest extent all year.

In a bid to fix this for future years, it had already been announced that there would be an altered energy split for 2027, 58-42 in favour of the ICE, before a complete shift to 60-40 in 2028.

This would be achieved through increasing the fuel flow rates, meaning that teams would need to carry more fuel in order to complete the distance, but this created a problem for teams that had designed next year's cars around the existing fuel tank sizes and who did not want to create all-new cars for 2027.

To counter this, teams and the FIA have agreed that races shall be cut from 305km - or the first lap completed that is beyond this distance - to 290km. For most races, this means that lap counts will be cut by between two and four laps. 

The outlier is Monaco, which for years has been limited to 260km, due to the slow nature of the track making it difficult to complete the regular distance in the allotted time. The race distance around the streets of the principality will not shrink further. 

A further change will see drivers limited to just a single sighting lap when heading to the grid, rather than touring the pits and completing multiple laps.

It has been reported that the changes are currently only being sought for the 2027 season due to the late nature of the fuel flow alterations, although it is possible that the 290km distance could remain for longer if there are additional problems discovered. 

As with any regulatory change, the World Motor Sport Council is still required to give its seal of approval, but this is expected to be a formality.