Technical Directive 032026.2

Trade Window Regulations

F1 Lads League - Season 5 | 2026

Confidential Last Updated: May 2026

Red Bull Racing

Eranga$50
Nippa$25
Cap Used:$75
Rem. Budget:$425

McLaren

Sahan$200
Sameera$125
Cap Used:$325
Rem. Budget:$175

Mercedes

Rodda$200
Kalpa$128
Cap Used:$328
Rem. Budget:$172

Aston Martin

Nuwie G$310
Shahan$150
Cap Used:$460
Rem. Budget:$40

Ferrari

Mapa$475
Shiyan$25
Cap Used:$500
Rem. Budget:$0
1

The Silent Nomination

Constructors submit exactly one private nomination for a Driver that has not yet been traded.

Nominations must explicitly include both the cash bid amount AND the Driver from the Buying Constructor's own team being proposed in the swap. Updated There is no minimum or maximum cash amount required for a valid bid, subject only to the Buying Constructor's remaining Budget Cap.

  • The Driver who is nominated the most (most popular) is auctioned first. This process is repeated each round.
  • If there are multiple Drivers who receive the same number of nominations, the Driver that will be processed first will be determined as follows:
    • Tie-Breaker 1: Highest championship points (i.e., the Driver with the higher number of championship points will be processed first).
    • Tie-Breaker 2: Highest Tier status (e.g., a Tier 1 Driver will be processed before a Tier 1.5 Driver).
    • Tie-Breaker 3: If the number of championship points and Tier status are the same, it will be determined by chance (i.e., the Drivers' names will be pulled out of a hat).
  • Ineligibility: Constructors that fail to submit a nomination in this round are precluded from all subsequent bidding for the current Driver cycle.

Example

Mapa (Ferrari) receives 2 nominations: Red Bull Racing (Bid: $176 + Eranga) and Mercedes (Bid: $120 + Kalpa).

Sahan (McLaren) receives 1 nomination: Aston Martin (Bid: $50 + Shahan).

Outcome: Mapa is the primary Target Driver and is processed first.

2

Final Bidding

Constructors who did not nominate the active Target Driver in Step 1 may now place a single, final bid.

Only Constructors who submitted a nomination in Step 1 (for any Driver) are eligible to bid now. Original nominations remain locked and cannot be modified.

Example

Because Aston Martin participated in Step 1 (nominating Sahan), they are eligible to bid for Mapa now.

McLaren is ineligible to bid for Mapa because they failed to participate in the nomination round.

3

Trade Settlement

Bid ≤ Selling Constructor's ROFR Amount

The Selling Constructor has two procedural options:

Option A: Match & Defend The Selling Constructor pays the highest bid amount to the League and retains the Driver via Right of First Refusal (ROFR).
Option B: Voluntary Sale The Selling Constructor accepts the trade. The Selling Constructor is REQUIRED to sell to the Buying Constructor that has made the highest bid (i.e., they have no discretion as to who they can sell to). If they are not happy with the incoming Driver from the highest bidding Buying Constructor, their only alternative is to exercise their ROFR to block the trade.
The incoming replacement Driver is strictly the Driver from the Buying Constructor's team that was proposed in the winning bid package. The default 'matching relative ranking' rule is superseded by whichever of their own Drivers the Buying Constructor attached to their offer. Updated

Example

If Red Bull Racing's bid for Mapa is accepted by Ferrari, then the specific Driver attached to Red Bull's winning bid package (e.g., Eranga) will be traded for Mapa.

Bid > Selling Constructor's ROFR Amount

The Selling Constructor is priced out and MUST facilitate a trade.

Selling Constructor's Discretion: If multiple bidders exceed the ROFR amount, the Selling Constructor has the discretion to decide which Constructor they wish to trade with. Crucially, the Selling Constructor can ONLY sell to the Buying Constructors who have bid above the ROFR Amount.
In making this decision, the Selling Constructor evaluates the 'Total Trade Package' (Cash Bid + the proposed Driver from the Buying Constructor's team). They are not required to select the bid with the highest absolute cash value, provided the chosen bid still strictly exceeds their ROFR Amount. Updated

Rationale: Since the Selling Constructor no longer has the ability to block the trade, they retain discretion to ensure they are happy with the incoming package that will be traded.

Note: If the incoming Driver has not yet been processed, the Selling Constructor may be at risk of losing such Driver in a subsequent trade.

Example

If Mercedes bid below the ROFR Amount for Mapa, and Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin bid above the ROFR Amount for Mapa, Ferrari would only be allowed to sell Mapa to either Red Bull Racing or Aston Martin, as Mercedes' bid was below Ferrari's ROFR Amount.

4

Driver Veto

Outcome A

DRIVER ACCEPTS

The Driver is traded to the Buying Constructor. Budget Caps are updated. The Driver is now LOCKED and cannot be traded again.

Outcome B

DRIVER VETOES

The Driver pays the Tier-specific Veto Fee from personal funds. Trade is cancelled. The Driver is now LOCKED and cannot be traded again.

Tier 1 $100
Tier 1.5 $90
Tier 2 $70
Tier 3 $30
Process Repeated

The entire process is repeated until all Drivers have been processed - that is, the process returns to Step 1 for the next Driver determined by a fresh nomination round (i.e. all previous nominations are discarded). Locked Drivers (i.e. Drivers who have already been processed) cannot be nominated again. Once all Drivers have been processed, the Mid Season Driver Trade is officially over.

Example

Mapa is now Locked. Ferrari has gained $150 (from sale) and the incoming replacement Driver.

In the next nomination round, Ferrari can use their new $150 to either bid aggressively for other Drivers or serve as a defensive shield to protect their remaining roster.

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