FIA defines safety standards for liquid hydrogen use in motorsport. The FIA has approved safety standards for liquid hydrogen use in motorsport.

The latest World Motor Sport Council meeting in Macau was a historic one. The FIA approved the safety standards for the use of liquid hydrogen in racing, with its inclusion in the international regulations expected soon. The categories concerned are the WEC and Extreme H, while Formula 1 is also watching with interest the prospects of hydrogen for future regulations.

The regulatory framework
In February 2024, the FIA formally announced its intention to promote research into the use of liquid hydrogen in racing—a more compact solution for onboard storage compared to the gaseous form initially under consideration. A year later, the Federation confirmed the definition of a set of standard regulations for storage systems (tanks), refueling procedures, and the integration of the hydrogen system with the rest of the car. All of this will soon be added to Article 253 of Appendix J of the FIA International Sporting Code, a section that already includes other technical regulations regarding safety.

The announcement is the result of a lengthy process involving both the FIA and the ACO, the co-organizer of the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which has been working for years on the creation of a hydrogen class for the French endurance race by the end of the decade. The discussions brought together several hydrogen experts, some from the aerospace and energy sectors. The agreed standards include, among other things, the use of tanks tested for resistance to high internal pressure, monitoring systems to detect potential hydrogen leaks, and defined limits on evaporation.

The implications
The Federation’s announcement mainly concerns the WEC. Currently, the plan is to establish a class for hydrogen-powered prototypes for the 2028 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although a further delay is quite likely. Meanwhile, the launch of Extreme H is expected soon—a category born from the ashes of Extreme E, this time featuring off-road vehicles powered by fuel cells.

Among those looking into hydrogen is also Formula 1, which at the end of 2023 created a dedicated working group together with the FIA and Extreme H. F1 is evaluating every possible alternative for engines that will follow the 2026 power units, and hydrogen could be one of the options on the table, having already been considered during the drafting of next year’s regulations.