Race Director's Competition Notes V3\n\nEvent: 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (12 - 14 June 2026) \nFrom: The FIA Formula 1 Race Director \nTo: All Teams, All Officials \nDocument: 51 \nDate: 14 June 2026 \nTime: 11:41 \n\n---\n\n## General Instructions\n\n### 1. Laps during Qualifying Session and Reconnaissance Lap(s)\n* Any driver exceeding the maximum time from the Second Safety Car Line to the First Safety Car Line on ANY lap during/after the Qualifying Session (including in-laps/out-laps) or during reconnaissance laps may be deemed to be going unnecessarily slowly.\n* Maximum time will be informed to teams after Practice Session 2.\n* This does not supersede Articles B1.8.5 and B4.1.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Regulations.\n\n### 2. Parc Fermé\n* Team personnel permitted access to Parc Fermé solely for fitting cooling fans and authorized work must use the designated route shown in the document diagram.\n\n### 3. Lapping during the Race\n* Pre-warning: When a faster car is within 3.0s of the car about to be lapped, the team must warn their driver.\n* Blue Lights/Panels: When the faster car is within 1.2s, blue light panels, blue cockpit lights, and timing monitor messages will be shown. The slower car must allow the overtake at the first opportunity.\n\n### 4. Article B5.13.6 (Safety Car Restart Pace)\n* Once the orange lights on the Safety Car are extinguished, drivers must proceed at a pace with no erratic acceleration, braking, or any maneuver likely to endanger others or impede the restart.\n\n### 5. ERS Safety Check after Covers Off\n* Each morning immediately after covers are removed under parc fermé conditions, all Teams must connect the umbilical to their cars and start telemetry data logging to check the car's ERS safety status.\n\n### 6. Pit Lane Safety\n* Team personnel are only allowed in the Pit Lane immediately before working on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete.\n* After the race, once safe, the message "ALL PASS HOLDERS MAY ACCESS THE PIT LANE" will be broadcast.\n\n### 7. Lap Times in LTCS and TTCS\n* Only lap times completed on the track will be included for classification.\n\n### 8. Starting Procedure\n* 8.1 Once cars return to the grid, the starting grid light panels will flash blue for 5 seconds and display "Pre-Start" before the starting light sequence begins.\n* 8.2 Starting grid panels are for informational purposes only and are not considered trackside light panels.\n\n### 9. Finishing the Race\n* The "Line" referred to for finishing the race is the Control Line on the track, not in the Pit Lane.\n\n### 10. Double Waved Yellow Flag\n* Any driver passing through a double waved yellow flag marshalling sector during Free Practice will have that lap time deleted.\n\n---\n\n## Competition Specific Instructions\n\n### 11. Marshalling System\n* Pit Entry: Cars entering the Pit Lane are subject to the marshalling state of the associated sector until passing the designated blue line.\n* Pit Exit: Cars leaving the Pit Lane are subject to the marshalling state of the sector they are emerging into after passing the blue line.\n\n### 12. Support Races Team Barrier Placement\n* Team barriers during support category sessions must be placed no more than 3 meters from the garage. Pit stop gantry arms must be moved back towards the garage.\n\n### 13. Practice Starts\n* May be carried out at the pit exit on the right-hand side using the painted grid boxes.\n* Forbidden during the Qualifying Session.\n\n### 14. Article B1.6.3d (Fast Lane Integration)\n* A car is considered "in the fast lane" when a tyre has crossed the solid white line separating the fast lane from the inner lane. Cars must blend into the fast lane safely without impeding others.\n\n### 15. Lines at Pit Entry and Pit Exit\n* Any driver passing to the right-hand side of the bollard at pit entry is considered as entering the pit lane.\n\n### 16. Stopping the Qualifying Session\n* If a Qualifying Session is interrupted with less than 70 seconds remaining, it will not be resumed.\n\n### 17. Post-Qualifying Driver Weighing\n* Drivers eliminated in Q1 or Q2 must proceed directly to the FIA scales. Drivers finishing in the top 10 must proceed to the scales immediately after leaving their cars without contact with others.\n\n### 18. ERS Hazard Status\n* If a car's ERS is in Hazard Status, the team must send mechanics to the car park area near race control at the pit entry.\n\n### 19. Leaving the Garage\n* Cars cannot enter the pit lane to proceed to pit exit until 5 minutes before the session start.\n\n### 20. Fire Extinguishers\n* Indicated by white boards with a red fire extinguisher icon on the debris fences.\n\n### 21. Places to Remove Cars from Track\n* Indicated by fluorescent orange panels/paintings on the barriers.\n\n### 22. Removing Cars from the Grid\n* Cars may be removed through the gates at grid positions 10 and 21.\n\n### 23. Race Suspension / Starting Procedure Suspension\n* Cars will be stopped in the fast lane (first car near pit exit lights). The Safety Car will leave the pit lane 1 minute before resumption and wait before Turn 6.\n\n### 24. Grid Panel Placement\n* Located on the right-hand side of the grid.\n\n### 25. Grid Procedure\n* The grid area is defined as the track section highlighted by the red box (from grid box #1 to #30).\n\n### 26. Track Limits\n* Failing to respect track limits at Turn 14 will result in the deletion of that lap time and the immediately following lap time.\n\n### 27. Pit Entry Light Panel\n* A yellow light panel on the LHS of the pit entry road warns of an incident in the pit entry road.\n\n### 28. FP1 and FP2 Systems Tests\n* Drivers may complete two further laps after the chequered flag to perform practice starts on the grid. The second start is to test the start safety net system.\n\n### 29. Changes to the Circuit\n* New asphalt in the pit lane working lane.\n* Realigned white line and added blue line at Turn 1 apex.\n* Removed bollards at the end of Turn 1 escape road.\n* Added blue line outside the white line at Turn 2 exit, Turn 3 exit, Turn 8 entry, Turn 8 exit, Turn 10 apex, and Turn 13 apex.\n* LHS barrier at Turn 5 entry and RHS barrier at Turn 6 moved further away.\n* Asphalt area on LHS at Turn 13 replaced with gravel.\n* New tyre barrier at the pit entry road on the RHS.\n\nRui Marques \nThe FIA Formula 1 Race Director