Formula 1 to restore 305km races in 2028 after one-season reduction

Formula 1's standard grand prix distance will return to 305 kilometres in 2028 after a one-season reduction to 290 kilometres in 2027. BBC Sport reported that the FIA's newly published rules include the restoration, setting out a return to the longer distance alongside the next stage of the sport's engine changes.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaDFJr5wSz0

The shorter races were agreed by the Formula 1 Commission at its September 21 meeting in London. In its statement, the FIA linked the 15-kilometre reduction to revisions to fuel-flow rules for 2027 and said it would remove approximately two or three laps. The meeting was chaired by Nikolas Tombazis and Stefano Domenicali.

BBC Sport explained that the distance cut addressed a fuel-capacity problem for teams hoping to retain their existing chassis next season to reduce costs. Fuel tanks sit within the chassis, limiting the scope to increase capacity without changing that structure. Higher fuel consumption could otherwise leave those teams unable to complete some races with their current tanks.

The engine changes will move the balance between combustion and electrical power away from this year's near-equal split towards 60-40 by 2028, in two stages, according to the BBC. The shift is intended to let drivers use maximum power for longer, but it also increases the amount of fuel the cars consume.

Grandprix.com reported that the return is set out under Article B2.5.2 in the regulations' approved changes for subsequent years. The distance figure is a threshold rather than a fixed lap count: scheduled races use the fewest complete laps needed to exceed it. Monaco retains its separate distance provision, so the standard rule does not apply uniformly to every venue.

The September commission meeting also agreed changes to how disrupted races are timed. The FIA said a hard finishing deadline would replace the existing three-hour window that includes interruptions, while the two-hour limit on actual racing would remain. It said the measures were designed to improve spectators' chances of seeing a full race after delays, with greater flexibility also agreed for interrupted practice sessions.