Formula 1 unveils 2026 technical revolution
Formula 1 has adopted new technical regulations for the 2026 season, described as a “revolution” aimed at resetting the counters “to zero,” reviving on-track spectacle, and reshuffling the constructors’ and drivers’ standings, AFP reports.
The 11 teams and their 22 cars are undergoing significant changes to engines, chassis, aerodynamics, tires, and fuels. Never before has the premier motorsport category experienced such a radical overhaul, although pre-season testing in Barcelona and Bahrain in January and February suggested that the established order of recent years is unlikely to be disrupted, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
The 2026 Formula 1 cars weigh 30 kg less, now at 768 kg. They are also 20 cm shorter and 10 cm narrower, making them easier to handle for overtaking. The front tires are 25 mm narrower and the rear tires 30 mm narrower.
This prompted Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to say the new F1 cars have a “very beautiful aesthetic: neither too small nor too big, not like the ‘whales’ of the past.”
Goodbye to the 15-year-old Drag Reduction System (DRS), replaced by “active” aerodynamics. The front and rear wings are movable and offer two aerodynamic configurations: a “Z mode” for increased downforce in corners and an “X mode” to reduce drag on straights and gain speed, considering that the 2026 cars are expected to be slightly slower in races than their predecessors.
This marks a major shift toward the sport’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030: the 1.6-liter turbo-hybrid V6 power unit is retained, but it must now derive 50% of its power from the internal combustion engine and 50% (350 kilowatts) from electric batteries.
A controversy stirred the paddock throughout the winter: Mercedes, whose engine also powers McLaren, Williams and Alpine, found a loophole in the regulations allowing it to exceed the maximum permitted compression ratio and thus gain a slight power increase — to the displeasure of Ferrari and Audi. Teams, F1 and the FIA voted on Friday for a compromise whereby, starting June 1, this ratio will be measured both at ambient temperature and under heat conditions.
Several drivers expressed skepticism about the new engine and driving style, which includes a “boost” button for acceleration and overtaking — or for defending against overtakes. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) mocked an “F1 that looks like Formula E on steroids,” while Esteban Ocon (Haas) joked about an “unpleasant engine sound.”
Mercedes was also accused of failing to homologate its Petronas fuel on time. “Complete nonsense,” Wolff replied in Bahrain. All fuels used in Formula 1 cars are said to be 100% sustainable.
This season features 11 teams instead of 10, with the entry of Cadillac, powered by Ferrari, before General Motors begins producing its own engines in 2028. The American team fields two experienced F1 drivers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
German manufacturer Audi also marks its arrival in F1, led by former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, with drivers Nico Hülkenberg and young Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto.
Pre-season tests in Bahrain indicated, as Ocon complained to AFP, that the hierarchy is unlikely to “change,” especially among the top four (in no particular order): Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull.
Although, as Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) noted, “everyone is hiding their true intentions” ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Williams, Haas, Alpine and Racing Bulls are expected to form the midfield, followed by Audi, Cadillac and Aston Martin at the back of the grid.
