Is it time to replace your race suit? Let’s get you track-ready. Is your race suit in date?
FIA 8856-2000 and FIA 8856-2018 are both accepted by Motorsport UK for Racing in 2026. The older version of this page said the 2000 standard expired in 2023. It did not. For an 8856-2018 suit, read the valid-until year on the garment itself rather than applying one date to every suit.
Do not replace an FIA 8856-2000 suit because this website previously said it expired in 2023. Motorsport UK still lists the standard in its 2026 rules. Check your discipline, your championship and the condition of the suit before deciding.
The standards accepted in 2026
Motorsport UK splits the clothing requirement by discipline. Your championship can be stricter.
| Use | Accepted standards | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Racing | FIA 8856-2018 or FIA 8856-2000 | The championship regulations and garment condition |
| Special Stage Rally, Sprint and Hill Climb | FIA 8856-2018, FIA 8856-2000 or FIA 1986 | The championship regulations and garment condition |
| Karting | Chapter 18 rules | Kart racewear is a separate approval system |
| International events | Current FIA Appendix L | The event regulations and the date on the garment label |
Checked against Motorsport UK National Competition Rules 2026 Edition 4, Chapter 9 article 4.3, on 4 August 2026. Rules change. Open the current Motorsport UK rules before your event, especially if your series has issued its own bulletin.
The standard is only the first check. A scrutineer can reject clothing that is torn, worn through, badly altered or no longer closes properly. And a championship can require 8856-2018 even where the national rules still accept 8856-2000.
SFI ratings belong to a different approval system used mainly in North American competition. They are not a substitute for an FIA label at an event that asks for FIA clothing. The old page mixed the two systems into one expiry table, which made neither clear.
Reading the label
The date on your own suit matters more than a date copied from a retailer page.
01FIA 8856-2018
Look at the label on the back of the collar. The garment has a product-valid-until year and an FIA hologram on the inner closing flap. FIA guidance gives 2018-approved clothing a ten-year life after its year of manufacture.
02FIA 8856-2000
Motorsport UK still accepts this standard in 2026 for the disciplines listed above. The ten-year product rule belongs to 8856-2018 clothing. For a 2000 suit, check condition and the event regulations rather than inventing a date from the standard name.
Find the collar label
Do not rely on the product name or the year you bought it. Read the standard and validity information sewn into the actual suit.
Check the FIA hologram
On an 8856-2018 suit it sits on the inner flap of the closing system. An 8856-2000 suit made from 2013 onward also carries a hologram.
Match the event rules
National acceptance does not override a championship rule. Find the clothing section for your discipline and class.
Inspect the whole suit
Check seams, cuffs, zip, collar and any embroidered area. A date does not rescue damaged clothing.
A clear photograph normally settles the first half of the question. Include the complete collar label and a wider picture of the suit. If there is damage, photograph that separately rather than folding the suit to hide it.
Damage and repairs
Fire-resistant clothing is not repaired like an ordinary jacket.
Do
- Follow the washing and drying instructions on the garment
- Keep it dry and stored in a closed suit bag
- Ask the manufacturer to assess a hole, failed seam or damaged cuff
- Check the zip and every closure before an event
- Replace clothing after contamination that cannot be safely removed
Do not
- Sew on a patch with ordinary thread
- Use a general alterations shop for a safety repair
- Add an internal pocket or battery device without approval
- Bleach the fabric or use an aggressive stain remover
- Assume a current label makes damaged clothing acceptable
The FIA guidance is plain on this point: damaged, unstitched or holed equipment goes back to the manufacturer for a decision. The same applies when wrist or ankle openings become loose or stop working. Those parts were tested with the garment, so replacing them with whatever is available removes the basis for trusting the approval.
What to wear underneath
A suit is one layer in the system. Your event decides the rest.
01Circuit Racing
Motorsport UK requires a flame-resistant balaclava, gloves and shoes. Flame-resistant underwear and socks are strongly recommended in the national rules, although a championship may make them mandatory.
02Other disciplines
Rallying, sprinting, hill climbing and karting have their own clothing clauses. Read the one that applies to your event. A friend racing in another discipline is not a regulations source.
Nomex layers take up room. Bring them to a fitting or wear an equivalent layer, then sit down with your arms forward. We see suits chosen from a chest measurement alone, and that is how drivers end up short in the sleeves or tight across the shoulders.
Sizing a new suit
Measure first, then check the cut in a driving position.
Use the brand chart
A Sparco size is not automatically an OMP or Alpinestars size. Use chest, waist, hip and height from the chart for the exact suit.
Put the base layers on
Wear the underwear and balaclava you expect to race in. A close-fitting suit with no room for the required layers is the wrong size.
Sit as you drive
Reach forward as if holding the wheel and bend both knees. Check the shoulders, crotch, sleeves and trouser legs in that position.
Check the openings
Cuffs and ankles should close properly without cutting in. Loose openings and a zip under strain are both warning signs.
Garreth and Cameron would rather fit the cheaper suit that sits correctly than move you into a dearer one that does not. Price changes the fabric weight, breathability and construction. It does not make the wrong size safer.
Current FIA 8856-2018 suits
Six in-stock options from the live range, from club-level suits upward. Check the size and the label on the delivered garment before wearing it.
-
From £278.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £320.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £327.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £408.50 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £410.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
-
From £423.00 Excl. VAT Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Common questions
Is FIA 8856-2000 still accepted in the UK?▾
Yes. Motorsport UK lists FIA 8856-2000 for Racing, Special Stage Rallies, Sprints and Hill Climbs in the 2026 National Competition Rules. Your championship can impose a newer standard, and an international event works to FIA rules, so check the regulations for the event you are entering.
Does every FIA 8856-2018 suit expire in 2033?▾
No. The date belongs to the individual garment, not to every item carrying the standard. FIA 8856-2018 clothing expires ten years after its year of manufacture. Read the product-valid-until year on the FIA label in your own suit.
Where is the label in a race suit?▾
On the back of the collar. An FIA 8856-2018 suit has its approval information there and a hologram on the inner flap of the closing system. The exact layout can be checked against FIA Technical List 74.
Can a torn FIA suit be repaired?▾
Only after the manufacturer has inspected it and agreed the repair. The FIA tells competitors to contact the manufacturer if clothing is damaged, unstitched or holed. Do not patch it at home or ask a general alterations shop, because the thread, fabric and construction are part of the approval.
Does washing remove the approval?▾
Normal washing does not, provided you follow the garment label. Avoid bleach and aggressive chemicals, close the fastenings and store the suit dry. Replace it when the fabric, seams, cuffs or closures are damaged, even if the printed validity date has not arrived.
Do I need FIA underwear as well as a suit?▾
That depends on the event and championship. Motorsport UK makes a flame-resistant balaclava, gloves and shoes mandatory for Circuit Racing and strongly recommends flame-resistant underwear and socks there. Other disciplines differ. Read the section that applies to your event rather than copying another driver.
How should a new suit fit?▾
Try it over the underwear you will race in and sit in a driving position. You need room across the shoulders and knees without loose fabric gathering around the controls. A suit that looks tidy while standing can be too short once your arms and legs are bent.
Can GSM check my existing suit?▾
Yes. Send clear photographs of the collar label, the front and any damaged area, or bring the suit to the showroom. We can read the standard and the date with you. Your championship or scrutineer has the final say on acceptance.
Send us a photograph
Include the full label and tell us which championship and class you are entering. We can explain what the garment says and show you the current range. The scrutineer and your event regulations make the final decision.
Browse race suitsCall 0115 9893488Book the showroomFIA clothing lists