Formula 1’s Potential Rule Change for 2026

With a handful fixtures to go in the F1 season, most race fans are keeping a close eye on the Drivers’ Championship, with Lando Norris leading the way on 357 points and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in second on 356. As expected, Norris is the current favourite, but things aren’t over yet.



Fans will find odds of around 3/4 for Norris to remain at the top of the standings when the season comes to an end, while Piastri is priced at 27/10, and Red Bull’s Verstappen is 4/1. Bettors can explore a variety of online sportsbooks and UK betting sites not on Gamstop that often have more competitive odds.



An exciting end to the season would top off some great action, but potential rule changes could see even more dynamic action in 2026.



Rule Change Proposals



The FIA has been exploring ways that could shake the sport up and make it less predictable, with one option being to implement mandatory two-stop racing, with the current rules demanding two tyre compounds, resulting in one-stop strategies.



Three concepts are being discussed by the industry’s regulatory board, including making it mandatory for drivers to use three tyre compounds to increase pit stop complexity and shake up current strategies.



The second potential option would be the removal of mandatory compound demands, but the inclusion of a minimum of two pit stops. This would allow drivers to maintain the same tyre type for the race, but still force two pit stops.



The final option would be to set a maximum distance per tyre set. This could be something like 45% of the race per compound, helping to enforce pit stops but giving drivers and their teams greater freedom in terms of tyre choice and strategy.



Previous Examples of Two-Stop Rules



This would not be the first time two-stop regulations were put in place, with the Monaco Grand Prix this year introducing them in an attempt to increase the excitement on the track. However, this failed when teams decided to slow their pace, allowing pit stops to be completed without their teammates losing their position. The 2023 Qatar Grand Prix also implemented a multi-stop ruling for safety reasons, with excessive tyre wear being the reason.



If the FIA does decide to go ahead with this rule change, it is unlikely that we will see similar scenes to those in Monaco across the whole season, with teams likely to explore different strategies. This could result in teams struggling to regain their position and others taking advantage of better strategies until drivers and teams get used to the changes.



2025 Season Final Races



With such big changes on the horizon, the end of the 2025 season could be more exciting than ever before, with teams making the most of existing strategies. The Brazilian Grand Prix will take place in São Paulo between November 7th and 9th, before the Las Vegas Grand Prix on the 20th to the 22nd of November.



The month ends in style in Lusail for the Qatar Grand Prix from the 28th to the 30th, before the season wraps up in Abu Dhabi with their Grand Prix taking place from the 5th to the 7th.
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