Rules & Regulations

The H1GP Sim Racing Championship ("the Championship") is an organised online motorsport competition run on rFactor 2 using the F1-UH 26 mod by Stig Modding (Steam Workshop). The Championship is administered by H1GP and its appointed officials.

These Regulations apply to all persons who participate in, officiate, or are otherwise involved in any Championship event, including drivers, team managers, stewards, and administrators.

The Race Director holds supreme authority over all sporting decisions and may delegate authority to the Stewards Panel for on-event rulings. Any conflict between these Regulations and a specific event instruction shall be resolved by the Race Director.

For the purposes of these Regulations:

This document is Rulebook Version 1.2, effective from 16 March 2026. It supersedes all prior drafts and informal rule communications.

The Championship is open to drivers of any nationality and any age. There are no regional or age restrictions.

All drivers must be registered by their team manager or person in charge. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Submission is done via official email to mika@h1gp.com. As of 16 March 2026, all 24 spots are filled, and no open slots are left.

H1GP reserves the right to reject any application without providing a reason.

There is no formal skill requirement. All drivers are expected to race safely and respectfully. H1GP may require a trial session for applicants whose ability is unclear.

All drivers must own a legitimate copy of rFactor 2 on Steam with the ability to install Steam Workshop mods. Use of pirated or unauthorised game files is grounds for immediate permanent ban.

All registered drivers must be active members of the official H1GP Discord server. Failure to maintain membership may result in removal from the Championship.

Each team may register a maximum of two (2) drivers per season. Single-driver teams are permitted.

Each team must have a unique name and a mandatory approved livery. Teams competing without an approved livery will not score points or Upgrade Cash (see Section 16).

Drivers may not switch teams during the season without explicit written approval from the Race Director. Unapproved switches will result in disqualification of affected results.

Substitute driver applications must be submitted at least 12 hours before the event. Each car will be given a unique ID, and Upgrade Cash will stay on that car's ID. If a driver changes teams, they will inherit the upgrades and upgrade cash of their new car, while leaving their old ones on the previous car. Upgrade Cash transfers substitute drivers.

Each team should designate a Team Manager responsible for all communications with H1GP. The Team Manager may also be a competing driver.

The Championship car is the F1-UH 26 by Stig Modding, available on the Steam Workshop. All drivers must use this car. The download link will be included in Briefing Notes and pinned in the Discord server before every event.

Car setups are fixed for the entire season. Drivers may not alter any setup parameter beyond what is explicitly permitted by the Upgrade System (Section 5). Any driver found using an unauthorised setup will face disqualification.

Only free tracks will be used in the Championship. The download link for each event's track will be provided in the Briefing Notes and pinned in Discord prior to each race weekend. Drivers are responsible for installing the correct track before the session.

All driving assists will be turned off by the server. This includes Traction Control, ABS, Automatic Gears, Stability Control, and all other in-game assists without exception.

Damage will be set to a level between 50% and 100% for each event. The exact damage setting will be confirmed in the pre-event Briefing Notes. Drivers must check the Briefing Notes before each session.

The use of any software, scripts, macros, or modifications that provide a competitive advantage beyond the official H1GP-provided content is permanently banned and results in immediate disqualification from the Championship.

Drivers must use steering wheel and pedals. Keyboard and mouse is not allowed, or anything outside of steering wheel and pedals.

The H1GP Upgrade System rewards lower finishing positions with more Upgrade Cash, giving back-of-grid teams the resources to close the gap over time. Upgrade Cash is spent on unlocking performance upgrades across two categories: Weight and Engine. Each category has five stages.

After each race, Upgrade Cash is awarded based on finishing position. The lower a driver finishes, the more cash they receive:

There are two upgrade categories — Weight and Engine — each with 5 stages:

For the 2026 season, drivers are permitted to skip upgrade stages. If a driver has sufficient Upgrade Cash, they may jump directly from any stage to any higher stage without purchasing intermediate stages. For example, a driver may go from Weight 0 to Weight 2 directly, bypassing Weight 1, provided they have $14,000 available.

Upgrades must be declared 48 hours before the relevant event and will be applied to the server 24 hours before practice opens. Upgrades may not be changed within 24 hours of practice start time. The submission process will be communicated via Discord.

Stewards reserve the right to deduct Upgrade Cash from a driver's inventory as a disciplinary measure. Deductions will be formally communicated via Discord. A driver's Upgrade Cash balance cannot fall below zero.

Each Championship event follows this three-session format:

The Championship does not operate a Sprint race format. All rounds consist solely of Practice, Qualifying, and the main Race.

Before every event, official Briefing Notes will be published on Discord. These will confirm session times, the track download link, damage setting for that event, mandatory pit stop requirements, and any event-specific instructions. All drivers must read the Briefing Notes before each event.

Official Practice will start at 7pm Malaysian Time. Server will open at 6pm Malaysian Time. Drivers are expected to join between 6pm and 7pm, and must not leave the server. Session will restart at 7pm, to indicate the start of Official Practice.

All sessions are hosted by H1GP administration. Drivers must join the official lobby only. Unofficial lobbies must not be used for Championship sessions.

Sessions begin at the scheduled time. No delays will be granted for individual late arrivals unless a multi-driver technical issue is confirmed by the Race Director.

Qualifying is a 10-minute single session. All drivers compete simultaneously. Each driver's fastest valid lap determines their starting grid position.

Drivers are arranged from fastest (pole position, P1) to slowest. Drivers who do not set a lap time start from the back of the grid. No championship points are awarded for pole position.

Drivers must not unnecessarily impede another driver on a flying lap. A driver on an out-lap or cool-down lap must yield to a driver on a timed lap. Deliberate impeding may result in a grid penalty.

Lap times set with track limits violations will be deleted. Track limits will be policed in-game, unless stated differently by the Race Director in the Briefing Notes.

As a penalty, the Stewards may issue a qualifying ban, requiring the affected driver to start from the pit lane or the back of the grid. Conditions will be specified in the penalty notice.

All Championship races run for 30 minutes. The race ends when the leader crosses the finish line after the timer has elapsed.

Drivers must start from their grid positions as determined by qualifying. Movement before the start signal constitutes a jump start and is subject to penalty.

Where a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car is deployed, drivers must comply with all safety car procedures. Overtaking under Safety Car or VSC conditions is prohibited.

If a driver disconnects, they must attempt to rejoin as quickly as possible. A reconnecting driver will have lost laps relative to the field and must rejoin without disrupting other competitors. No position restoration or time compensation will be granted.

If the entire server crashes, the following applies regardless of laps completed:

A retiring driver must park in a safe location and notify H1GP officials via Discord promptly. Deliberately blocking the racing line after retirement is prohibited.

Official results are determined by in-game classification, subject to any post-race steward penalties. Results will be published on Discord within 24 hours of race conclusion.

In normal race conditions, mandatory pit stops are required. The number — either one (1) or two (2) — will be declared in the Briefing Notes for each event and communicated via Discord prior to the race weekend.

Mandatory pit stops may be taken at any point during the race at the driver's discretion, provided the required number is completed before the finish. Failing to complete the required stops will result in a post-race time penalty.

Drivers must observe all pit lane speed limits. Unsafe releases from the pit box that endanger other drivers are prohibited and will be penalised.

In the event of a server crash and restart (Article 8.5), no mandatory pit stops are required for the restarted race. The restart is a straight run to the finish from the qualifying grid order.

Championship points are awarded to the top 10 finishers in each race using the standard F1 points structure:

No championship points are awarded for pole position or fastest lap. Only race finishing positions count toward the Drivers and Constructors Championships.

The Constructors Championship sums the championship points of both drivers in each team across all rounds of the season.

A team must have an approved livery in order to score. Any round completed without an approved livery results in no points and no Upgrade Cash being awarded for that event (see Section 16).

Ties resolved by: (1) most race wins, (2) most second places, (3) most third places, continuing through all positions. If still tied, the Race Director determines the outcome.

Championship points may be deducted as a penalty at Steward discretion. All deductions are formally communicated via Discord.

All drivers must race in a fair, clean, and respectful manner. Reckless or dangerous driving will not be tolerated and is subject to penalty regardless of whether contact occurs.

Drivers must keep at least two wheels within track boundaries at all times. Consistent violations used to gain a lasting advantage may result in lap time deletion or a time penalty.

Overtaking must be clean and fair. A driver must leave sufficient room for the car being overtaken. Forcing another driver off the track is prohibited.

A driver may make one defensive move to protect position. A second move to re-close is prohibited. At least one car's width must be left at the track edge when defending.

Weaving on straights to disrupt a following car or break the tow is prohibited and will result in a penalty.

Collisions judged to be a driver's fault will be investigated. Deliberate collisions attract the most severe available penalty. Rear-end collisions are generally considered the fault of the following car unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Drivers must not cut corners to gain a lasting advantage. Positions gained by corner cutting must be immediately returned. Failure to do so may result in a post-race time penalty.

Pit lane speed limits must be observed at all times. Unsafe releases from the pit box endangering other drivers are prohibited.

Stewards select the most appropriate penalty for any given infringement. The following penalty types are available:

Penalties may be issued during or after the race. Post-race penalties will be reflected in official results within 24 hours. All penalties are communicated via Discord.

The following result in an automatic permanent ban without a full investigation:

Any registered driver or team manager may protest a Stewards decision or an incident involving their car by submitting via the official H1GP Discord.

Protests must be submitted within 10 minutes of the end of the race. Late protests will not be considered.

A protest must include: (1) the specific incident, (2) the lap and approximate time, (3) the driver(s) involved, and (4) any supporting evidence such as video footage or screenshots.

The Stewards Panel will review all available evidence and aims to issue a ruling within 48 hours of receiving the protest.

Drivers may escalate to the Race Director, whose decision is final and binding. There is no further right of appeal.

Drivers who repeatedly submit frivolous or bad-faith protests may be subject to a warning or penalty at the Race Director's discretion.

If a single driver disconnects, no race restart will be issued. The driver must rejoin as quickly as possible and will have lost laps relative to the field. No time credit, position compensation, or Upgrade Cash adjustment is provided.

If the entire server crashes, the race restarts with 15 minutes remaining from the qualifying grid order, with no mandatory pit stops required. Refer to Article 8.5 for the full procedure.

Drivers must report suspected game bugs to H1GP immediately. The Stewards will determine on a case-by-case basis whether any remedy is appropriate.

H1GP is not responsible for circumstances beyond its control. Affected events will be rescheduled at the Race Director's discretion.

A minimum of three (3) Stewards must supervise each race. The Stewards Panel investigates incidents, applies penalties, and rules on protests. Decisions are made by majority.

Stewards may not be active competing drivers in the same season they are officiating.

The Race Director has the final say on all Championship decisions, including rule interpretations, penalty escalations, and administrative matters. The Race Director may overrule any Stewards decision.

All official decisions, penalties, and rulings are communicated via the H1GP Discord announcements channel and are officially served once posted.

Any Steward with a personal interest in an incident under review must recuse themselves. The remaining Stewards may co-opt a neutral substitute.

Team liveries are mandatory. A team that competes without an approved livery will receive no championship points and no Upgrade Cash for that event, for every event until an approved livery is in place.

Liveries must be submitted to and approved by H1GP administration before the team's first race. Mid-season changes must also be approved before use in competition.

Liveries containing offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content will not be approved and must be redesigned before the team may compete.

Every driver must carry a unique racing number between 2 and 99. Numbers must be registered with H1GP before the season begins. No two drivers may carry the same number.

Racing number #1 is permanently reserved for the reigning Drivers Champion of the previous season. The defending champion may carry #1 or retain their personal number. If the defending champion does not participate in the following season, #1 is retired for that season and may not be used by any other driver.

H1GP reserves the right to broadcast, record, and publish all Championship sessions on any platform. All participants grant H1GP irrevocable broadcast rights upon registration.

Drivers are encouraged but not required to stream their perspective during events. There is no mandatory streaming obligation.

Content produced by drivers or teams in connection with H1GP must not bring the Championship into disrepute. Drivers producing harmful or defamatory content may face disciplinary action.

All participants must conduct themselves with respect and professionalism toward fellow drivers, officials, and the wider H1GP community — both in-game and on Discord.

Harassment, bullying, hate speech, or abuse of any kind will result in immediate disqualification and permanent ban from all H1GP activities.

Any attempt to manipulate race results, collude to fix positions, or act in bad faith will result in disqualification and permanent ban.

Making defamatory statements about drivers, teams, or officials in public forums may result in disciplinary action at the Race Director's discretion.

All registered drivers confirm upon registration that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Regulations in their entirety.

H1GP reserves the right to amend these Regulations at any time. All registered participants will be notified of material changes via Discord.

Amendments take effect on the date specified in the notice, or immediately upon Discord publication where no date is specified.

All versions of this Rulebook will be archived and available upon request. The version on the official H1GP website and Discord is always the current, binding version.