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The FIA has announced a major expansion of its education and development work for the motor sport community, responding to demand from officials around the world. More than 550 officials from 103 countries have registered for the new training pathways created to support key roles such as stewards and race directors. These programmes are part of a wider effort by the federation to embed a culture of continuous professional development and consistent decision-making across national, regional and international events.
Designed and delivered by the new FIA Officials Department in partnership with FIA University, the programme mix blends practical guidance with regulatory alignment and assessment. The curriculum aims to refresh established knowledge, propagate best practice, and ensure officials operate to the same high standards that govern modern competition. By combining online learning and certification, the FIA intends to make high-quality professional development more accessible to officials who may not be able to attend in-person summits.
Structured training for core officiating roles
The initiative focuses on three targeted streams: the FIA Stewards Training Programme, the FIA Race Director Training Programme and, for the first time directly organised by the federation, the Clerk of the Course training. Each stream is split into a Continuous Professional Development track for experienced officials and a Regional Training Programme that creates a pathway for officials nominated by their ASN (Member Club) to progress from national to international appointments. The programmes are intended to improve on-track consistency and to provide a clear route for career progression.
Format, schedule and assessment
Content delivery is modular: every programme comprises four sessions of 120 minutes spaced across the year, concluding with an assessment and certification to verify competency. The first session of the FIA Stewards Programme was delivered online on 24 March, and the FIA Race Director Training Programme started on 31 March. The Clerk of the Course programme is scheduled to begin in June 2026. The approach uses remote sessions to build on the connections made at the 2026 FIA Officials Summit in Madrid, which gathered over 230 officials for in-person training.
FIA University: e-learning, junior sportsmanship and scholarships
Alongside official training, FIA University continues to expand its digital learning offer. A new 45-minute module titled Good Sportsmanship for Juniors has been created for drivers aged 8–12, particularly in grassroots karting. The interactive course uses multimedia storytelling and scenario-based exercises to cover topics such as fair play, respect for diversity and the role of rules, and concludes with a personal pledge tool that clubs can integrate into their junior pathways. The module was piloted by Member Clubs including the Automobile Association Philippines, Automóvil Club de Costa Rica and Motorsport South Africa.
Education activity extends to higher education and career support. The fourth edition of the FIA Motorsport Engineering Scholarship funds a fully covered MSc in Advanced Motorsport Mechatronics at Cranfield University, including tuition, accommodation and travel, and offers a post-graduate internship with the FIA. Past scholars such as Sanya Jain cite the award as a gateway to combining technical excellence with values like safety and inclusion. Applications were open with a closing date of 20 March 2026.
Archives, research residencies and knowledge preservation
FIA University is also investing in archival research. The Archive Digitisation and E-Library project has amassed an institutional resource that now includes more than 2 million pages of material in the collection and over 88,000 digitised pages plus 1,200 published documents accessible for study. As part of a pilot residency programme, Miguel Tiago served as the inaugural research scholar at the FIA Archives in Valleiry from 19 to 23 January 2026, working on governance and early organisational development using primary records. The residency will produce a draft paper intended for peer review and wider dissemination through FIA University channels.
Why these developments matter
Collectively, the training programmes, e-learning modules, scholarship and archival research create a connected ecosystem that supports officials, competitors and future engineers. By combining regulated training, evidence-based learning and academic research, the FIA seeks to professionalise officiating, nurture ethical behaviour from junior levels and open routes into motorsport careers. The federation’s geographic reach—245 Member Organisations across five continents—means these tools are designed to scale globally and to support a safer, fairer and more inclusive sport.