In recent seasons, many teams have removed paint to save weight, leaving large dark sections on their liveries. From 2026, at least 55% of each car’s surface, when viewed from the side and from above, must be painted or covered with stickers rather than left as exposed carbon. The aim is to make the cars easier to tell apart and to bring back more colourful designs, as many fans have criticised recent liveries for looking dull.

Teams have removed paint mainly because of weight concerns, and with the minimum weight set to fall again next year, the FIA acted early to avoid even more extreme weight-saving measures. The new rule was approved at Friday’s F1 Commission meeting, following discussions with the Technical Advisory Committee.

The Commission also talked about the rule for permanent driver numbers, which has been in place since 2014. A proposal has been agreed in principle to allow drivers to change their racing number during their careers, although the exact details have not been confirmed yet. Under the current system, drivers choose a number between 2 and 99 for their whole career, while the reigning champion can use number 1.

Changes to the Aerodynamic Testing Restrictions (ATR) were also discussed. These restrictions limit how much wind tunnel and CFD work each team can do, based on their position in the constructors’ standings. The FIA said that updates are being developed to reflect modern simulation technology while keeping costs under control.

Other topics were raised but not settled. The idea of having mandatory two-stop races was discussed again, but no agreement was reached, and talks will continue into 2026. There was also discussion about possibly requiring drivers to use all three tyre compounds during a race. Driver cooling systems were mentioned too, with more work planned on possible redesigns.