Formula 1 grands prix will return to their standard distance in 2028 after the maximum race length was shortened for next season. The maximum distance was cut by 15km, from 305km (189.5 miles) to 290km (180.2 miles), for the 2027 season. That reduction was introduced because of a quirk in the situation surrounding changes to the engine rules for next year.
The new hybrid engines introduced this year, which have a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, have been criticised for reducing the impact of driver skill. The power split will be changed in two steps, to 60-40 by 2028, enabling drivers to have maximum power for longer. That means the cars will use more fuel, and that became a concern when it emerged some teams wanted to carry their chassis over into next year to save money. As the fuel tank sits within the chassis and its size cannot be changed, those teams might not have been able to finish grands prix with their existing fuel tanks. The change affects only a handful of races where fuel consumption is heaviest.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, published the 2027 rules this week. Its section on changes for 2028 includes a clause that removes the reduction and reinstates the 305km maximum distance. Lewis Hamilton, who drives for Ferrari, had previously objected to the shortening of race distances. The 41-year-old Briton said: "The races should be longer because the races are physically easier than ever before. So shortening, I don't think, makes much sense."
Hamilton stressed that Formula 1 is supposed to be among the most physically demanding sports, mentally and physically. He pointed to races such as Singapore, which is incredibly hot and demanding. "That's where I think you want to see athletes, just right on the edge, right at the edge of their performance, having to actually push their bodies further, because that's what this sport is about," he said.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing