F1 | FIA updates 2026 rules to clarify red flag procedures after Oliver Bearman controversy. The FIA has amended the 2026 F1 sporting regulations to clarify red flag procedures.

The FIA has decided to amend the 2026 regulations in order to provide clarity following a controversial episode that took place at Imola.

The new Formula 1 season is about to begin, with the first pre-season tests scheduled to take place in less than a month. The 2026 regulations introduce several substantial changes, but the FIA is still working on a number of specific details. Recently, further amendments have been made to the sporting regulations to clarify a situation that sparked debate during last year’s Imola Grand Prix.

The Federation has revised a section that deals with the deletion of lap times when a red flag is shown during a session. In 2025, Oliver Bearman saw his lap time cancelled even though the British driver had not seen the red flag before crossing the finish line. From the stewards’ point of view, however, the communication confirming the interruption of the session had arrived just a few seconds before the British driver set a valid lap time that would have allowed him to progress to Q2. Haas lodged an official protest, but it ultimately proved to be unsuccessful.

The FIA provides clarity for 2026

In the recent changes made to the 2026 sporting regulations, the FIA has addressed one specific aspect related to the red flag procedure. The Federation aims to reduce to a minimum any situations that could be open to interpretation and, on this occasion, wanted to remove any doubt about the procedure that must be followed. This new addition refers to the way lap times are deleted when on-track activity is stopped. The clarification applies to all sessions, but it obviously carries weight only in qualifying, where drivers are fighting for their starting positions on the grid.

In Appendix H of the FIA sporting regulations, paragraph 5 of Article 2.5.4.1b states that: “When a car crosses the control line to complete a lap after the red flag has been shown: (a) that lap time must not be considered valid; (b) the moment of the first showing of the red flag must be determined by the official timing system or, if this is not available or not synchronised, as jointly confirmed by the Race Director and the chief timekeeper; (c) if a lap time is nevertheless recorded after the first showing of the red flag, the Stewards must delete that lap time.”

As a result, there will be very little room for interpretation, and teams are unlikely to lodge protests during qualifying should a situation similar to Oliver Bearman’s Imola incident occur again in the future.