F1, budget cap: FIA to ban part-time employee tricks from 2026. In 2026 every employee of an F1 team will be included in the budget cap with a full salary.

In 2026, Formula 1 will witness changes in both power unit and chassis area. The goal is to make the cars lighter and less bulky in terms of size, and as for the power units, there will no longer be the MGU-H component, and the drive units will be powered by 100% biofuels (in addition, the electrical component must provide more power than it currently does).

With the introduction of the budget cap starting in 2021, Formula 1 added a financial regulation to the technical and sporting regulations. Adherence to the spending limit has been the focus of heated controversies, and the FIA is trying to equip itself with suitable tools to prevent the budget cap from being easily bypassed, especially by top teams that are unwilling to give up any resources or employees.

The German publication Auto Motor und Sport has reported a major change that will radically alter the scenario regarding the budget cap from 2026. Starting in 2026, every employee of a team who is involved in Formula 1, even if not at 100%, will be included in the budget cap with a full salary. This decision is due to the fact that it is too complicated and intricate for the Federation’s delegates to navigate through personnel sometimes in four figures, distinguishing between full-time, part-time, and the percentage of involvement in Formula 1-related projects. From 2026 onwards, teams will no longer be able to rely on tricks related to part-time work to lower the salary bill that needs to be included in the budget cap.

A clear example in this regard? Rob Marshall, a former key technician at Red Bull who has now moved to McLaren, was declared employed in Formula 1 for only 10% of his working time (Red Bull had divided Rob Marshall’s work 50% on the Hypercar RB17, 40% on Red Bull PowerTrains, and 10% on Formula 1).