Detailed analysis: Overview of all adjustments to the sporting regulations for the 2025/26 Formula E World Championship

Following the meeting of the World Motorsport Council in October, the FIA has published the complete Sporting Regulations for the 2025/26 Formula E season. In addition to some adjustments affecting the attack mode of the cars, there will be a number of other rule changes in Formula E in the coming season. e-Formel.de has scrutinised all the changes and gives you a comprehensive overview ahead of season 12.

Every year, the FIA makes adjustments to the regulations in order to respond to new circumstances, changes in procedures or incidents. However, requests for changes from drivers and teams are also taken into account. The following changes to the regulations for the 2025/26 season deserve a mention.

Preamble

An editorial error in the previous season's regulations has been corrected: The 2024/25 newly introduced World Championship title for the most successful manufacturer has been added, so that it now states that three championships will be held.

Article 3: General conditions

Here the description of the role of a manufacturer in the Formula E World Championship has been added. In particular, it has been added that a breach of the Manufacturer Registration Form will be considered a breach of the Sporting Regulations

Article 4: Licences

Here, the FIA now clarifies under what conditions a driver is counted as a rookie: A driver who has never participated in an E-Prix or is participating in an E-Prix for the first time is considered a rookie until the end of the season of his first participation or until he has participated in two E-Prix in different seasons. Participation in a rookie training session does not count as participation in an E-Prix.

Specifically, Felipe Drugovich will no longer count as a rookie in the coming season due to his participation in the Berlin E-Prix 2025, while Pepe Marti will - up to and including the season finale in London.

Article 6: Formula E World Championship

In addition to the top three drivers and the team principal of the winning team, one of the team's cars must now also attend the annual FIA awards ceremony, along with the necessary personnel to operate the car. Here too, a fine of 50,000 euros will be imposed in the event of absence. The fines will always be imposed on the team from which the driver, team principal or car was not present.

Article 13: Competitors' applications

Teams must pay an increased entry fee of 145,500 euros per season. In the previous season, this was 135,825 euros.

Article 16: Incidents

Race stewards now no longer have the right to convert a already imposed time or drive-through penalty into a grid penalty for the next race if a driver finishes outside the top 10 or even retires, but always do so. The wording of the previously valid regulation allowed the race stewards to make exceptions.

Article 22: Track testing

The reference to up to two official test days per season exclusively for rookies has been clarified: Here, the wording "a driver who has never taken part in a Formula E race" has been changed to the rookie definition in Article 4.

This leads to an interesting constellation: Cupra Kiro newcomer Pepe Marti is therefore also allowed to drive in the rookie test, which will take place this season on 22 March in Madrid - he still counts as a rookie until the end of the season.

When asked by e-Formula.news, the FIA has confirmed that Marti is considered a Rookie and is permitted to participate in the test.

Article 23: Pit entry, pit lane & pit exit

The FIA has clarified that driving in the pit lane is only permitted in the "Fast Lane". The "Working Lane" in front of the pits may only be used to enter and exit the garage or to carry out a pit stop. If a car is backed into the garage, it is prohibited to drive behind the car through the "Working Lane", even if the "Fast Lane" is blocked.

The person who gives the driver the signal to continue driving during a pit stop must now at all times be on the side of the car where the garage is located.

It is now forbidden to perform burnouts or wheelspins in the pit lane.

Article 25: Tyres & tyre limitations during events

The rule that teams must return tyres within 20 minutes of the end of the last session or the opening of the parc-ferme after the race has been removed. Instead, the exact times will now be communicated before each event.

The rule that teams are not allowed to clean the wheels now only applies to wheels that are not mounted on the car until the end of the race. For mounted wheels, this continues to apply until the end of the parc-ferme after the race.

Article 27: General car & personnel requirements

Teams may request an additional pass and an orange wristband if they wish to do the stickering and labelling of the car themselves. However, this person only has until the end of the day before the first session to the race track.

Article 29: Electricity & Charging

Team chargers, both the standard charger and the pit boost charger, will now no longer be sealed by the technical delegate.

Article 30: General safety

Dangerous driving and unnecessary slow driving is now prohibited not only on the track, in the pit lane and at the entrance to the pit lane, but also at the pit lane exit.

Article 32: Practice sessions

The reference to the fact that there is exactly one additional free practice session for rookies per season has been deleted. Reference was also made here to the definition of a rookie in Article 4.

Only the lap times determined by crossing the finish line count towards the result of the practice session. If a driver turns into the pits, this lap time no longer counts.

Article 33: Qualifying practice sessions

In the group phase of qualifying, removing tyres and refitting them in the same positions does not count as a tyre change and is therefore prohibited. At least one tyre must be changed or the tyres on the left and right side of the car must be swapped.

A tyre change is only permitted until the car has retired. If a retired car returns to the pits after the end of the group phase or a duel, the tyres may not be changed.

The rule that a driver must drive a timed lap in the first six minutes of qualifying has been removed.

Cars that make it into the duel phase of qualifying may reload for five minutes after the end of the group phase. This must be done within five to ten minutes of the chequered flag dropping.

In the duel phase, not only the 350 kW mode, but now also the four-wheel drive may only be activated in the last sector of the lap after exiting the pit lane.

Also in qualifying, only the lap times determined by crossing the finish line count towards the result. If a driver turns into the pits, this lap time does not count.

Article 35: The grid

If qualifying cannot be held and the starting grid is determined on the basis of the result of free practice, the stewards have the right to change any decisions they have made.

If no free practice session has taken place, the drivers will instead be sorted based on the current standings of the drivers' world championship. If this is also not possible, the race stewards will determine the starting grid

Article 37: The race

The rule that there must be at least three hours between the end of qualifying and the start of the race is now suspended in the event of force majeure.

The attack mode must be activated as often as is prescribed in a race. However, it is no longer necessary to use up the entire time of the attack mode until the end of the race.

It has also been added here that the person who gives the driver the signal to continue must always stand on the side of the garage during a pit boost pit stop.

Article 38: Safety car

On the instructions of the race director, lapped cars must now move to the side of the track and allow the cars on the lead lap to pass. They may then rejoin the rear of the field.

Article 39: Full course yellow "FCY"

The reference that cars must maintain the distance to the car in front and behind at 50 km/h has been deleted.

Article 40: Suspending a race

In the event of a race suspension, teams are now also permitted to fit a battery cooling system to the car.

If several cars are in the pit lane at the time of a race interruption, the order in which they entered the pit lane now applies. An overtaking manoeuvre in the pit lane resulting from a driver having his garage further ahead is no longer considered an overtaking manoeuvre.

Article 43: Parc ferme & quarantine area

Instead of a battery cooling system, mechanics are now only allowed to install a fan in the restricted areas to cool the battery temperature.