Hosted by FIA President Jean Todt and FIA Deputy President for Sport Graham Stoker, the World Motor Sport Council gathered today in Geneva for its first meeting of the year.

The following is a summary of the meeting and the main decisions taken: 

Coronavirus COVID-19
 
Professor Gérard Saillant, President of the FIA Medical Commission, gave a detailed presentation on the development of the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. An FIA Crisis Cell has been established and convenes every second day to consider the latest developments around the world. The FIA continues to closely monitor the situation and its implications, together with its Member Clubs and Promoters, and follows the advice of relevant authorities including Governments and the World Health Organization. The FIA will evaluate the calendar of its forthcoming competitions and take any action required to help protect the global motor sport community and the wider public, including the postponement of competitions where necessary.
 
FIA Formula One World Championship
 
Settlement Agreement between the FIA and Scuderia Ferrari
 
The Council expressed unanimous support for the FIA President and the FIA Technical Department in regard to the overall management of the case, and strongly opposed any comments that undermine the reputation and image of the FIA and the Formula One World Championship.
 
2020 Technical and Sporting Regulations
 
For the 2020 Technical Regulations, the Council approved an increase in minimum mass from 745kg to 746kg due to the addition of new elements to monitor the Power Units.
 
A change to the 2020 Sporting Regulations was approved to allow for unrestricted variations to driver helmet designs between races. Furthermore, it was clarified that the end of season test at Abu Dhabi will be using 18” 2021 Pirelli tyres.
 
2021 Technical and Financial Regulations
 
A number of updates to the 2021 Technical Regulations were approved, including: 

• Changes to the front wing profiles to prevent downwash which would have resulted in a severe compromise to the overall objectives to allow cars to race more closely
• Front wing endplates, top bodywork and rear wing endplates have been modified to give the teams more commercial space
• Drastic improvements to the strength and energy absorption of the chassis in front, lateral and rear impacts.
• A number of updates to considerably improve electrical (high voltage) safety on the cars
• Tethers will be mandated for rear wing and rear impact structures

 
Kulite has been appointed as the official supplier for Power Unit pressure and temperature sensors in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
Changes to the Financial Regulations for 2021 and beyond will allow monitoring activities to be performed by Cost Cap Administrators at any point in time, remotely or at F1 Teams’ premises. For full details, please click here. 
 
FIA World Endurance Championship
 
The 2020-2021 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar is approved as follows:
  

The Council approved the general principles of a convergence platform forming the basis of the top prototype class in endurance racing.

The platform will maintain the existing FIA WEC Technical Regulations, including the Le Mans Hypercar. The Le Mans Hypercar and LMDh cars would be brought together under a single and unique FIA WEC top category.

The LMDh cars would be based on a new chassis, common to both WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship top class.

Parameters such as power unit performance, aerodynamic characteristics and weight will be aligned for both the Le Mans Hypercars and the LMDh cars in order to ensure both will operate in the same performance window.

FIA World Rally Championship

Following approval of the main technical definition of the 2022 rules for Rally1 (formerly WRC) at the Council meeting of 4 December 2019, the FIA Rally and Technical departments in cooperation with the WRC manufacturers have continued to develop a series of regulations that will ensure the current spectacle, aesthetic appeal and sound are carried over to the new generation cars and will deliver exciting competition at an attainable level of investment for the teams. The intention is to reduce costs against the current vehicles while including sustainable hybrid technology and a system of scaling to allow manufacturers to adapt their rally car from different models.

The Council today approved the Technical Regulations for this new class, with final details of the engine regulations, hybrid technology and standard safety cell yet to be confirmed.
 
FIA World Rallycross Championship
  
A revised 2020 FIA World Rallycross Championship calendar was approved as follows:
  

ABB FIA Formula E Championship
 
The Council noted the postponement of the Rome E-Prix as a consequence of the ongoing health emergency in Italy and according to the provisions set out in the ministerial decree concerning measures to counteract and contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

FIA WTCR - World Touring Car Cup
 
A revised 2020 calendar was approved as follows:
  

 
Several cost-reduction measures will be introduced from the 2020 season. The number of races per weekend has been reduced from three to two, while the first qualifying session of each weekend has also been eliminated.

Two-car teams will be restricted to 12 personnel and three-car teams limited to 18 personnel. Only 10 personnel per team will be assigned the armbands that permit them to work on a car.

The tyre allocation will also be limited to 18 new tyres permitted per car for the first event of the year, followed by 12 new tyres for each round thereafter, as opposed to the previous assignment of 22 and 18 respectively.

To encourage the participation of more race by race competitors, these entry fees are reduced from €10,000 to €5,000 per event and the compensation ballast reduced from 20kg to 10kg.

FIA World Cup for Cross Country - Rallies and Bajas 
 
The future Cross Country rally car pyramid was approved. A balance of performance will continue to be applied to T1 4x4 and T1 4x2 cars until the end of 2022, whereupon in 2023 T1 4x4 will become the premier category in the discipline. The principle of introducing a group for new environmentally friendly technologies from 2021 was also accepted, with the aim of providing a framework for the development of such vehicles.
 
FIA Regional Rally Championships
 
The Council approved a number of changes to the Sporting Regulations for the Regional Rally Championships as follows: 

Amendments to the 2020 calendars see Barbados joining the NACAM series as a new host country, Rally Ypres joining the ERT Celtic calendar and the ERT Benelux competition confirmed with three events in Belgium and Luxembourg.
 
FIA NACAM Rally Championship  
  

*subject to ASN confirmation
 
FIA European Rally Trophy - Celtic
  

 
FIA European Rally Trophy - Benelux
  

 
As a measure to ensure extra safety for the less experienced drivers, the number of reconnaissance runs authorised for each crew on each special stage may be increased to three in the European Rally Trophy.

The Council also approved amendments to the Technical Regulations including updates to the 2021 Rally3 class in accordance with the Rally Pyramid, following the approval of the category’s homologation regulations at the 4 December 2019 meeting.

It has been agreed that all cars will have the same weight and the same power of 210 hp, balanced by a turbocharger restrictor.

A price cap of €100,000 for the car ready to enter a rally has been set in the homologation regulations.
 
FIA European Rallycross Championship (Super1600)

A revised 2020 FIA European Rallycross Championship calendar for Super1600 was approved as follows:
  

 
FIA Single Seater Commission
 
The 2nd Generation Formula 4 car, incorporating the Halo safety device, will become available from the start of the 2021 season. All F4 Championships are granted a transition period to use the current F4 car until the end of 2023, with the Technical and Homologation Regulations for the 1st and 2nd generation Formula 4 car remaining valid in parallel. This completes the introduction of the Halo through the entire FIA Single Seater Pyramid.

The Council approved the addition of the FIA F3 World Cup, held during the Macau Grand Prix, to the International Sporting Calendar.

FIA Historic Motor Sport Commission
 
Cars competing in Categories 2, 3 and 4 of the FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship must now be fitted with a FIA-homologated seat in order to ensure the efficient operation of the mandatory FIA-approved frontal head restraint devices (FHR).

FIA Hill Climb Commission
 
The number of results retained in the FIA International Hill Climb Cup will be the total minus one, in view of the 2020 Calendar comprising only five competitions, ensuring that the final classification will not have a large number of drivers on equal points, or multiple winners.

FIA GT Commission
 
The 2022 GT3 homologation regulations have been finalised, including the definition of road car eligibility criteria. The regulations have been made available to Manufacturers and National Sporting Authorities in the first instance.

FIA Truck Racing Commission
 
The implementation of a new datalogger system has been approved, which will be responsible for the management of top speed (in truck racing set at 160kph) and smoke control. A safety roadmap for truck racing, addressing such topics as marshals’ safety, recovery vehicles, extrication equipment and procedures and standardised penalty markers, was approved.

FIA Drifting Commission
 
The Council approved the Specific Regulations for DC1 Drift Vehicles. The first-ever Technical Regulations for drifting govern the building standards for professional drift cars, with a focus on implementing new FIA safety standards, while leaving engine specifications and power output open.

Additionally, a tender will be launched to identify a new promoter for the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup.

FIA Electric and New Energy Commission
 
The revised 2020 Electric and New Energy Championship calendar is approved as follows:
 
E-Rally Regularity Cup 

 
Solar Car Races 

FIA Digital Motor Sport 
 
The Council approved the transformation of the FIA Digital Motor Sport Working Group into an FIA Sporting Commission for 2021.