The Formula 1 Commission has agreed to shorten standard Grands Prix in 2027 from about 190 miles (305 km) to 180 miles (290 km), taking a team-backed proposal one step closer to the rulebook. The change still requires approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The FIA said after Monday’s Commission meeting that the reduction would remove two or three laps, depending on the circuit. It linked the shorter distance to planned changes in fuel flow under the 2027 power-unit regulations.
Teams had already backed the idea, as Grandprix.com reported earlier this month. Monday’s agreement is the next formal step, not a final change to the regulations. The World Motor Sport Council has yet to ratify it.
The Commission also agreed to revise how interrupted races are timed. A hard stop time would replace the current three-hour elapsed-time limit, while the two-hour limit on actual racing would remain. The FIA says the change is intended to improve the chance of completing a race after a lengthy stoppage.
The distance cut will be noticeable, if hardly a reinvention of a Grand Prix. Its immediate significance is that the proposal now has Commission approval. The next decision belongs to the World Motor Sport Council.