FIA, F1 and all 11 teams sign ninth Concorde Agreement, securing governance framework through 2030
The FIA, F1 Group and all 11 teams have officially signed the ninth Concorde Agreement, locking in the sport’s commercial as well as governance framework from 2026 through 2030. This signing of the Concorde Agreement is the “constitutional” event of the sports. It matters because it provides the legal in addition to financial stability required for Formula One (F1) to enter its most ambitious technical era yet. The new agreement introduces a shift in voting power within the F1 Commission. The number of team votes required for a majority has been reduced from six to four along with a super majority now requires only six teams instead of eight. This is designed to prevent “gridlock” and allow the sport to react faster to necessary rule changes.
The very first Concorde Agreement was signed in 1981 to end a civil war between the FIA’s sporting arm (FISA) and the team owners (FOCA), led by Bernie Ecclestone. Before this, F1 was fragmented, prone by boycotts and lacked a central commercial structure. The agreement created the first “tripartite” contract between teams, the governing body as well as commercial rights holder, named after the Place de la Concorde in Paris where it was signed. Introduced the landmark requirement that teams must attend every race, which gave broadcasters the confidence to invest in multi-million dollar TV deals. In previous years, a super majority of eight teams was often needed to pass late stage changes giving large manufacturer groups a “de facto veto.” The 2026 agreement lowers these thresholds, making it easier for the FIA in addition to F1 Group through regulations even if smaller group of teams opposes them.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President said: “This agreement allows us to continue modernising regulatory, technological and operational capabilities, including supporting our race directors, officials and the thousands of volunteers whose expertise underpin every race.”
A direct reference to the “cash boost” the FIA received in this deal. It signals a move away from the underfunded era of recent years, promising that the FIA will finally have the “technological and operational” resources to match the commercial scale of teams.
The most radical change is the reduction in voting thresholds for the F1 Commission. Previously, a “super majority” required eight out of 10 teams to agree on late stage rule changes. This effectively gave large groups a de facto veto. From 2026, a majority requires only four team votes and a super majority requires only six teams. This gives the FIA and F1 Management (FOM) significantly more leverage to push through “sporting fairness” rules even if major manufacturers oppose them. It makes the sport more responsive but potentially more volatile for teams with specific technical interests.
Fans will see the first physical consequence of the agreement on the cars themselves. In a move to increase the visibility of the governing body, all teams are now required to display a mandatory FIA logo on the nose of their machinery starting in 2026. With Cadillac joining alongside a record high six manufacturers, the sport’s commercial centre of gravity will further toward the US. This may lead more US centric sponsorship and potentially even more North American race dates in the 2027 – 2030 period.
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