As the global FIA community is gathered in Macau for the Federation’s annual conference, members of the World Motor Sport Council met today, 10 June, at the Galaxy International Convention Centre for the second session of 2025. The meeting was chaired by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
In his opening address, the FIA President welcomed the Members, thanking them for their efforts, saying: “2025 is proving to be an exciting year across all our championships with technological milestones being reached, new talent emerging, and battles being fought on the track and across stages each week.”
Reaffirming the remarkable financial turnaround that he has overseen since his election, he noted: “Following the hard work of many, the FIA is now a financially sustainable organisation. In 2024 we delivered a profit of €4.7 million which will be reinvested into key projects across the Federation and our Member Clubs, supporting my commitment to doubling global motorsport participation and the important work we are doing in grassroots across our pyramids.”
President Ben Sulayem also shared his thoughts on the remainder of the year, noting: “2025 is a powerful opportunity for us to innovate and grow. New agreements across our championships are unlocking fresh potential, we are enhancing the level of competition and expanding our global reach. Each race across our championships shows the passion and dedication of our community.”
The following is a summary of decisions taken at today’s WMSC meeting:
The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the Federation’s first-ever set of safety regulations for vehicles powered by liquid hydrogen, marking a major milestone in motor sport’s sustainable transition.
Developed with input from industry experts across sectors such as aerospace, energy, hydrogen infrastructure, automotive hydrogen storage, refuelling technologies, system integration, risk assessment and safety engineering, as well as automotive manufacturers and the ACO, the new framework, soon to be integrated into Appendix J, Article 253 of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, sets strict standards for vehicle integration, storage systems, and refuelling procedures. Key safety measures include pressure-tested compartments, multi-alert hydrogen leak detection and boil-off limits.
Last year, the FIA announced it will focus on contributing to development and promotion of solutions based on hydrogen stored in liquid form (LH₂), due to its lower volume and weight compared to compressed gas tanks (CGH₂), making it better suited to the demanding environment of motor sport, where optimisation is key.
By establishing a secure regulatory model, the FIA aims to position motor sport as a catalyst for hydrogen innovation across the broader mobility sector.
Malaysia confirmed as host for first FIA Karting ‘Arrive and Drive’ World Cup designed to support emerging talent
The World Motor Sport Council approved the details and technical regulations for the inaugural FIA ‘Arrive and Drive’ Karting World Cup which will take place from 14–16 November 2025 at the LYL International Circuit in Malaysia.
This first-of-its-kind event will mark a significant milestone in the implementation of the FIA’s Global Karting Plan, launched in December 2024, which aims to broaden access to grassroots motor sport, widen global talent pathways and contribute to the broader FIA goal of doubling motor sport participation worldwide.
The new competition will adopt a cost-effective ‘Arrive and Drive’ format and utilise CIK-FIA homologated or approved equipment. Designed to lower financial barriers and ensure technical parity, this inclusive approach ensures the competition is accessible to talented drivers who may not otherwise have the financial means to compete in traditional international karting competitions.
To ensure broad international representation, registration will initially be exclusively open to National Sporting Authorities (ASNs), each entitled to nominate one driver. In line with the competition’s objective to showcase and support emerging talent, drivers with prior experience in FIA Karting Championships and Cups will not be eligible, although those who have competed in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy may apply.
The event will include two categories: Junior (12–14 years) and Senior (14–19 years), each capped at 54 drivers. The top three finishers in each category will qualify for the FIA Karting Excellence Centre shootout, alongside the top three drivers from other FIA Karting Championships. The Senior winner will receive a prestigious scholarship to support their progression to FIA Formula 4, while the Junior winner will receive a budget contribution towards their next season in an FIA Karting Championship.
FIA Karting Commission (CIK) President, Akbar Ebrahim, said: “The Global Karting Plan is already delivering real change and development to the karting landscape. When looking at how we could make the sport more accessible around the world, the arrive and drive – single spec concept made complete sense to work alongside the existing structure of the FIA Championships. We are promoting this parallel development pathway for drivers in the arrive and drive – single spec format, and the creation of the World Cup approved today by the World Council is a very important piece of the puzzle.
WRC27 takes shape as regulations open to huge variety of bodywork designs
The World Council today approved one of the final pieces of the compelling puzzle that is coming together to mark the start of a brand-new era for the FIA World Rally Championship from 2027.
The WRC27 ruleset, given the green light by the World Council in December 2024, has been undergoing its final refinements and updates over the past six months, and today the confirmation of the reference volumes for bodywork cements the commitment set out by the FIA to put flexibility at the core of these regulations.
To achieve this, the rules define a zone in which all of the bodywork panels must be located, but within this volume, manufacturers and constructors have the freedom to scale and integrate almost any design.
This crucial feature of the regulations means that, without effecting performance, cars ranging from saloons to hatchbacks, cross-overs and completely bespoke designs could be entered over the ten-year regulation cycle through to 2037.
Regulatory updates:
FIA Formula One World Championship
The World Motor Sport Council approved the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, which will see the introduction of new teams and new regulations for the next generation of F1 cars that will run on 100% sustainable fuels. Commencing in Australia on 6-8 March, the calendar will feature 24 races, with the inaugural Madrid* event taking place on 11-13 September.
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar for 2025-2026 has been approved as follows:
The Council members also approved the technical regulations for the next generation of cars (GEN4), set to be introduced in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship from the 2026-2027 season onwards.
Designed under the leadership of the FIA, in partnership with Formula E and single suppliers (Spark for the chassis, Podium Advanced Technologies and Bridgestone for the tyres), the GEN4 car will be another game changer in terms of performance.
Featuring two different aero configurations with high and low downforce, as well as permanent all-wheel drive, the fourth generation of the all-electric single seater will also see an increase of its maximum power output from 350kW to 600kW whilst its regeneration capability will reach 700kW (from 600kW currently).
FIA World Rally-Raid Championship
The calendar for the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship has been approved:
Three new FIA Rally-Raid Championships have been created in relation to the Stock category as follows:
- FIA Rally-Raid Championship for Stock Drivers
- FIA Rally-Raid Championship for Stock Navigators
- FIA Rally-Raid Championship for Stock Manufacturers
All associated regulations required following the creation of these championships were approved by the Council.
In addition, an FIA Rally-Raid Championship for Teams has also been created.
FIA Formula 2 Championship
The 2026 calendar was approved as follows:
FIA Formula 3 Championship
The 2026 calendar was approved as follows:
Single-Seater Committee
From 2026, the FIA will introduce a Regional Trophy concept for the Formula Regional and Formula 4 categories. These new formats will be presented to championship organisers and promoters, providing them with unprecedented flexibility to choose between a traditional championship format lasting over a longer period or concentrating their competitions within a shorter timeframe with fewer events.
This will preserve the status of championships certified by FIA by offering an alternative for ASNs, all in the service of the FIA’s overarching goals to increase global participation and make motor sport more accessible for all.
- The new proposed format will follow strict regulations to respect the imposed framework:
- Duration: An FR/F4 Trophy must be held within a maximum of two consecutive months within the same calendar year.
- Calendar: An FR/F4 Trophy must hold either three or four events per season.
- Sporting Format: A season of FR/F4 Trophy must comprise a minimum of nine races.
- Regulatory framework: An FR/F4 Trophy must strictly follow the FR/F4 Homologation, Technical and Sporting Regulations.
Super Licences
The FIA has received a request to grant a Super Licence to Arvid Lindblad prior to his 18th birthday. After considering the information presented in support of this request, the World Council found that the driver has recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition and therefore approved the request.
The World Council also approved the proposal to award two (2) Super Licence points to the winner of the FIA Formula 4 World Cup.
Drivers’ Committee
In relation to the FIA Driver Categorisation Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and updating the categorisation of drivers competing in FIA Competitions, its composition has been updated to promote transparency and trust in the categorisation process. It will be composed as follows:
- President: FIA
- Members: Representatives from ACO
- Representatives from SRO
- Representatives from IMSA
- Two members of the FIA Driver’s Committee
- Regional specialists
- Administration: two administrative staff from the FIA (no voting rights)
Cross-Country Rally Commission
It will now be permitted for competitors in cross-country rallies to use a waterproof overgarment on top of their equipment, provided it complies with EN 14116 standard.
United Against Online Abuse: Major Conference Confirmed for September
Members of the World Motor Sport Council received an update on the significant progress of the FIA’s award-winning United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) campaign supported by the FIA Foundation. This campaign is also endorsed by ten national governments, 39 affiliated sporting organisations and 30 partners.
UAOA is proud to announce it will host its second landmark conference on 9 September 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden, bringing together its global coalition of sporting bodies, government officials, regulators, and technology partners. Building on the successful UAOA conference held in Paris last year, the one-day event will reaffirm UAOA’s leadership in this field, uniting key stakeholders and driving collective action to combat online abuse across the sporting world.
The conference will centre on the exchange of best practices, expert insights from our dedicated FIA University research programme and the use of case studies to help organisations develop robust, sustainable and implementable strategies to address online abuse across all levels of sport.
Upcoming World Motor Sport Council Meetings
| Date | Venue |
| 16 October | Virtual |
| 10 December | Tashkent, Uzbekistan – within the framework of the FIA General Assemblies |
