Safeguard clause added to the FIA International Sporting Code

24.04.20

World Motor Sport Council approves measures to allow the FIA to make swift regulatory changes by majority under exceptional circumstances.

In view of the unparalleled COVID-19 crisis, the FIA continues to make changes to its regulatory processes to mitigate the impact wherever possible and safeguard the sport for the future. Therefore, in addition to previously announced changes to specific championship sporting and technical regulations, the World Motor Sport Council has now approved the introduction of a safeguard clause in the International Sporting Code.

The safeguard clause will overcome the current requirement to obtain the unanimous agreement of all competitors to amend regulations within an individual FIA championship, cup, etc., allowing the FIA, under certain exceptional circumstances, to modify regulations with a shorter notice period and with the agreement of the majority of the competitors properly entered for the FIA championship, cup, etc. concerned.

The updated clause is as follows:
18.2.4 Shorter notice periods than those mentioned above may be applied, provided that the unanimous agreement of all Competitors properly entered for the Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series concerned is obtained. However, in exceptional circumstances, and if the FIA considers that the change in question is essential for the safeguarding of the Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series concerned, the agreement of the majority of the Competitors properly entered shall suffice.