FIA Driving Standards Guidelines 2024: Unified Rules for Safe, Fair, and Competitive Racing

The FIA Drivers Commission has released the 2024 Driving Standards Guidelines, aiming to standardize driving behavior and race officiating across all circuit racing categories. These guidelines will be formally integrated into Appendix L of the International Sporting Code starting January 1, 2025, and serve as a modern benchmark for steward decisions going forward.

🏁 Core Objectives

• Promote safe, hard, and fair racing
• Ensure consistency in stewarding across racing categories
• Develop junior driver discipline through stricter enforcement
• Replace precedent-based decisions with clear written guidance

📋 Key Principles and Recommendations

• Overtaking must be fair, whether inside or outside the corner
• Defensive driving should not endanger others or unfairly block
• Track re-entry must be done cautiously without impeding on-track cars
• Track limits are strictly enforced; repeated abuse is penalized
• Safety car restarts require smooth, safe behavior from the leader

🔧 Overtaking Guidelines

Inside the Corner:

• Overtaking car must have its front axle alongside the middle or mirror of the other car at the apex
• Must maintain control and stay within track limits
• Must leave racing room on exit

Outside the Corner:

• Front axles of both cars must be at least aligned at the apex and exit
• Must be driven with control and within limits
• Inside car must not force the outside car off-track

🔄 Straights, Braking, and Re-entry

• Only one defensive move is allowed on a straight
• Late blocking or moving under braking is not permitted
• Rejoining the track must be safe and yield to on-track traffic

🚧 Track Limits Enforcement

• Lap times deleted in qualifying for violations
• Advantage gained by cutting or leaving track must be given back
• May require giving up multiple positions if order changes

🚗 Safety Car Protocol

• No erratic behavior before the restart
• Lead driver must avoid sudden acceleration, heavy weaving, or slow rolling restarts
• Dangerous restart behavior may lead to significant penalties

🏎️ Implementation Notes

• The guidelines are non-precedential and override prior incident interpretations
• Will be enforced across all FIA-sanctioned circuit racing
• Stewards, Race Directors, and Clerks of the Course will be briefed on application