MADRID, 6 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) presented this Thursday the new regulations for 2026, which includes more agile and lighter cars, smaller and without DRS, but with active aerodynamics, when there will be six motorists — Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, Honda, Audi and Ford–, according to a statement.
“The complete 2026 regulations take Formula 1 into the future through a series of key innovations in the power unit, chassis, aerodynamics, safety and sustainability,” explained the FIA.
Thus, the engine of the single-seaters in 2026 will offer “even more power” than the current one, with a battery that grows in power, from 120 kw to 350kw. In addition, it will use 100% sustainable fuel, and the amount of energy that can be recovered during braking has been doubled.
Drivers will benefit from that extra power when overtaking, in which DRS as known until now will disappear. The new cars have 55% less aerodynamic resistance, so the effect of this system would not be such. Thus, the new active aerodynamics will appear to overcome opponents on the track.
The new cars will have two ‘modes’, Z and X. The first is the standard, while the second, with low downforce, will be activated on the straights to reach a higher top speed. With it, the front wing will modify the shape and the rear wing will open, but what will give a plus to the car you want to overtake will be the new ‘override’, which will give it greater electrical energy.
Although the biggest change is the size of the car. According to the FIA, it will be smaller and lighter than the current generation of cars, pursuing the concept of an agile car. Thus, the wheelbase goes from a maximum of 3,600 mm to 3,400 mm, while the width has been reduced from 2,000 mm to 1,900 mm.
Weight is also reduced, and cars in 2026 will have a minimum weight of 768 kg, 30 kilos less than their 2022 counterparts. The 18-inch wheel size introduced in 2022 remains, although the width of the front tires has been reduced. reduced by 25 mm and that of the rear ones by 30 mm, but with a minimum loss of grip. The front wing will be 100 mm narrower than the current one and will have a two-element active flap.
The regulations also want to take a step further in safety, so a new two-plane frontal impact structure will be introduced and the pilot’s lateral protection against intrusions will be improved. In addition, the loads that the anti-roll hoop can withstand will become 20G.
This new regulation, which must be officially ratified by the FIA World Motor Council on June 28, welcomes the new Ford and Audi motorists, who join Honda, Alpine, Ferrari and Mercedes. And the president of the organization, Mohamed Ben Sulayem, defended that this “new and exhaustive” regulation defines “an enormously exciting future.”
“We have taken the opportunity to adapt the chassis to the energy requirements of the new power units. In collaboration with our partners in Formula 1 and with the help of all 10 teams and all our stakeholders, this represents a unique review that will ensure make our top-flight championship even more relevant to what is happening in the world,” he said.
The FIA hopes that these regulations will serve to “improve the races” and “to make the championship even more attractive.” “Our goal, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car suitable for the future of the elite category of this sport. We believe we have achieved that goal,” he celebrated.
For his part, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali believes that these rules mark “an important moment in the future” of the competition, to provide fans with “more exciting races.” “We enter this new regulatory cycle with the sport in the strongest position it has ever been in, and I am confident that the work done by the FIA to create these regulations will further strengthen the position of the sport around the world,” he concluded. .