Can You Alter A Race Suit Or A Kart Suit?
Racewear, your questions
A customer asked us recently whether we could alter a race suit, and whether the answer was any different for a kart suit. It is a fair question. Legs an inch too long, sleeves that bunch at the wrist, and a suit that otherwise fits well.
The first answer is that we are a shop. We sell racewear, we size people for it in the showroom, and we do not have a sewing room out the back. So we do not alter suits, and we do not take them in to send away either.
What we can do is tell you what the rules say, who does this kind of work, and how to get a suit that fits without anybody taking scissors to it. Cameron and Garreth went through the FIA paperwork for this one, because the car suit and the kart suit sit under two different standards.
- We are a retailer. We do not alter or repair suits, and we do not send them away for it
- An FIA 8856-2018 fire suit must not be cut, so legs and sleeves cannot be taken up afterwards
- The maker can build a suit shorter or longer to order, and it keeps its FIA approval
- Names and logos: embroidery on the outer layer only, badges with flameproof backing and thread
- Ironed on logos are out. Printing and transfers are for the maker, with a certificate
- Damage, holes or loose cuffs go back to the manufacturer to check
- Homologated kart suits follow FIA 8877-2022, and fitting changes belong to the maker there too
- A kart suit with no homologation, for indoor or arrive and drive, can go to any alterations shop
The short answer
On an FIA fire suit, you can add to the outside of it within rules, and that is about it. Names, logos and sponsor badges are fine done the right way. Changing the length, the cuffs or the shape after it has left the factory is not, because the FIA approval is for the suit exactly as the maker built it.
On a kart suit it depends which kind you have. A homologated kart suit follows the same idea, the maker makes the changes. A non-homologated suit for indoor or arrive and drive karting has no approval to protect, so any alterations shop can take it up.
Cameron’s line at the counter is that a suit which does not fit gets swapped for one that does, and nobody goes near it with scissors.
What the FIA allows on a race suit
Every FIA suit carries its approval on an embroidered label on the back of the collar, and almost everything we sell is FIA 8856-2018. That standard and the FIA’s own protective clothing guidelines set out what a driver is allowed to do to one.
| What you want to do | On an FIA 8856-2018 fire suit |
|---|---|
| Shorten the legs or sleeves | Not after it is made. The standard says the garment shall not be cut. A maker can build it shorter to order, and it is still homologated |
| Replace worn or loose cuffs | Back to the manufacturer. The FIA says not to replace them yourself |
| Embroider a name or logo | Allowed, stitched through the outer layer only |
| Sew on a badge | Allowed. Badge backing and thread both flameproof to ISO 15025 |
| Iron on a logo or transfer | Heat bonding is not allowed. Printing and transfers are for the maker, with a certificate |
| Repair a hole, burn or split seam | The manufacturer inspects it and decides repair or replace |
| Dye it a new colour | Not allowed. Dye changes how the material behaves |
| Add a pocket inside | Not allowed |
The standard is blunt about the consequence. Customisation that does not follow those rules invalidates the homologation, and turning up in a suit with an invalid homologation can mean a penalty or disqualification from the event.
Motorsport UK run the same FIA approvals for national racing, and a scrutineer looks at condition as well as the label. A home hem or a replaced cuff is easy to see.
Why the length matters more than it looks
Taking an inch off a sleeve sounds harmless, and on a pair of work trousers it would be. On a fire suit the ends of the arms and legs are part of the protection.
The FIA guidance is that gloves should cover the overalls and not leave the wrists showing, and that there should be no bare sock between the bottom of the suit and the boot. A sleeve that is too short opens the wrist gap. A leg that is too short does the same at the ankle.
The knitted cuffs are tested too. If they have gone loose, the FIA says to send the suit back to the maker for new ones, not to fit them yourself.
A suit that is a bit long is usually fine. It bunches over the boot, the knitted cuff holds the sleeve at the wrist, and in the car you will not notice. Garreth’s test is simple: sit in a bucket seat with your arms out to the wheel. If the sleeves still sit under the glove gauntlet and the legs still cover the sock, leave it alone.
Names, logos and sponsor badges
This is the alteration people want most, and it is the one the rules are written to allow. There are three ways of doing it:
Embroidery
Stitched straight onto the suit, through the outer layer only, so the inner layers keep their insulation.
Sewn on badges
The badge backing and the thread must both be flameproof to ISO 15025. With that thread, the stitching can go through all the layers.
Printing and transfers
Only the suit manufacturer can do these, and the suit comes with a certificate showing the work. Ironing one on yourself is heat bonding, which is not allowed.
The easiest time to get a name and flag on a suit is when it is made. Our custom race suit configurator takes an embroidered name and a nationality flag at the order stage.
For a suit you already own, the job goes to a specialist. JB Embroidery in Ashford, Kent make Nomex badges and will hand sew them onto a race suit with Nomex thread, for UK customers, and they prefer the quiet months between November and February. We went into the full detail on logos in our earlier post, can you add logos to an FIA race suit.
Holes, burns and split seams
A suit that is damaged, coming unstitched or has a hole in it goes back to the manufacturer, according to the FIA. The maker checks it and decides whether it can be repaired or needs replacing. Contact them, or the shop you bought it from, before anybody picks up a needle.
The warranties say the same thing in their own words. Alpinestars state that an unauthorised modification or repair voids the warranty. OMP’s terms want a repair authorised by them and done with original materials. Sparco’s exclude alterations.
You will find Nomex repair patches for sale, JB Embroidery make them with a sewing kit included. They are aimed at a club racer with a tear the day before an event. Whether one is acceptable on your suit is a question for the manufacturer and your scrutineer, so ask them before you rely on one.
Also check the date. An FIA 8856-2018 suit expires ten years after the year it was made, so on an older suit a repair can cost more than the suit has left in it. Our guide to repairing an FIA suit has more on that.
Kart suits are a different standard
A kart suit is not a fire suit. The homologated ones are tested for abrasion, what happens when you slide down the track, under FIA 8877-2022 in Grade 1 or Grade 2. The homologated kart suits we sell are almost all Grade 1, and our kart suit standards guide explains which events ask for which.
The 8877-2022 rules follow the same logic as the car suits. Logos and customisation can go on top of the outer layer as long as any stitching stays clear of the structural seams, and a customised suit comes with a certificate showing it. Size changes, boot cut legs and elasticated ankles are changes the maker builds in. They are not jobs for after the sale.
A kart suit also dates faster than a car suit. The approval runs out five years after the year it was made, and that year is on the label in the collar. Motorsport UK expect all kart kit to be in good condition as well, so a suit with worn through knees is due for replacement, whatever the label says.
Indoor and arrive and drive suits
A suit with no homologation, like the OMP Summer-K or a wet weather over suit, is made for practice, indoor karting and arrive and drive. There is no approval to lose, so any alterations shop can take the legs up. That also makes them the right suit for a fast growing junior.
The way round it: have the maker build it to your length
This is where we can help. OMP and Sparco will build several of their FIA 8856-2018 suits to order, and a suit made that way is homologated as built. Changing the size is something the standard lets the maker do, so a suit built short is as valid at scrutineering as one off the shelf.
Our custom race suit configurator has three routes. A standard size with alterations adds £54 and covers most people who are a normal shape at an unusual height: you pick a base size and give the centimetres to add or take off the legs or arms. Full made to measure adds £174 and works from 18 body measurements. Allow approximately six weeks either way, and because it is built for you, it cannot come back unless it is faulty.
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Those four are among the suits the configurator builds, from the Sparco Sprint Advanced at £392.40 up. Before any of that, Cameron would want you to try a stock size. We keep the popular FIA suits in the showroom to size from, and plenty of people who think they need a made to measure suit turn out to be in the wrong size, or in a brand that is cut differently. Our Sparco and OMP sizing post goes through that.
Common questions
Can a local tailor take up my FIA race suit?
Not without affecting the approval. FIA 8856-2018 says the garment shall not be cut, and the cuffs at the wrist and ankle are part of what was tested. If it is too long, a suit built to your length by the maker is the way to fix it.
Will a scrutineer spot an altered suit?
A scrutineer checks the label and the condition of the suit, and a domestic hem or a replaced cuff is easy to see. The FIA says using a suit with an invalid homologation can mean a penalty or disqualification.
Can I have my name embroidered on a suit I already own?
Yes. Embroidery goes through the outer layer only, and a sewn on badge needs flameproof backing and thread to ISO 15025. A specialist such as JB Embroidery will do it with Nomex thread.
Can I iron a sponsor logo on?
No. Heat bonding is not allowed on an FIA suit, and printed logos and transfers can only be applied by the manufacturer, who issues a certificate for them.
Does GSM Performance alter or repair suits?
No, we are a retailer. We size you for a suit, and through the configurator we can order one built to your length from OMP or Sparco.
My kart suit is too long. What can I do?
If it is an indoor or arrive and drive suit with no homologation, an alterations shop can take it up. A homologated FIA 8877-2022 suit is built to size by the maker, so try a different size or brand first.
How long does a custom length suit take?
Approximately six weeks through our configurator. Custom suits are made to your specification, so they can only be returned if faulty.
Send us those and the suit you are looking at, and we will tell you whether a stock size will fit or the alterations route is the one to take.
Most suits that feel long are a size out, or the right size in a brand that is cut differently. We keep the popular FIA suits in the Nottingham showroom to size from, so book a visit and try one.
