F1 races to return to standard distance in 2028 — SkimNews
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- FIA published its 2027 regulations this week including a clause that drops the temporary 15km reduction and restores the 305km (189.5-mile) maximum race distance for 2028.
- The 2027 cut to 290km (180.2 miles) was driven by teams planning to carry over existing chassis to save costs — the fuel tank is housed inside the chassis and couldn't be enlarged to meet higher consumption under the new hybrid units.
- Formula 1's new hybrid power units introduced this year split output roughly 50-50 between internal combustion and electrical power, a balance drivers and critics said dulled the role of driver skill.
- The calibration will move in two steps to a 60-40 combustion-electric split by 2028, giving drivers maximum power for longer stretches before fuel limits intervene.
- The distance reset affects only a handful of grands prix where fuel consumption runs heaviest.
- Lewis Hamilton, the 41-year-old Ferrari driver, objected to the shortening, telling reporters races should be longer because they are "physically easier than ever before" and citing Singapore as the kind of punishing test the sport should preserve.
Why it matters: Teams chasing cost savings by carrying chassis into 2027 forced a one-season compromise on race length, and the FIA's 2028 reset walks it back once the new 60-40 hybrid calibration lowers per-lap fuel burn. Drivers like Hamilton who'd argued for longer, harder runs get their wish — just a year late.
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