Formula One moves into a new world in 2026

NEW YORK – Formula One heads into the unknown in 2026, tackling one of the biggest regulation changes to its cars in the history of the sport, creating anxiety, excitement and relief.

“One of the big challenges is operating in the dark,” said Nikolas Tombazis, single-seater director of the FIA, the sport’s governing body, in November. “You don’t know where the others are.

“You don’t know whether you need to recover one second from one season to the next, or if you’re ahead and going to start the championship winning or in woeful misery. So that angst of the unknown, I think, is psychologically very draining for teams.”

Last January, teams started work on a car that, according to the FIA, will be “agile, competitive, safer and more sustainable”. There is a 30kg weight reduction and the cars will be shorter by 20cm and narrower by 10cm.

The most significant changes are to the power unit, with a 300 per cent increase in electrical power, leading to an even split between the internal combustion engine and electric power. The cars will run on 100 per cent sustainable fuel derived from carbon from non-food sources and general waste or carbon captured from the atmosphere.

Aerodynamically, the drag reduction system, which is a device to aid overtaking, is gone. It is replaced by two modes — one that opens elements on the front and rear wings to increase downforce and speed through the corners, and the other to reduce drag to maximise straight-line speed.

“There are many technical challenges on this programme, both on the chassis and on the PU side,” said Simone Resta, Mercedes deputy technical director, on the car’s structural frame and power unit. “Of course, it’s a brand new PU, but it’s also sustainable fuels for the first time, and on the chassis side, everything is new.

“So, new aero-configuration, new tyres, quite challenging weight limits to be achieved and new safety requirements. So there’s a combination of many different things, and there’s no carry-over from this year’s car.”

On Dec 7, the teams concluded a record-equalling 24-race schedule in Abu Dhabi, with Lando Norris winning his first drivers’ title. They have six weeks until the start of pre-season testing in Barcelona on Jan 26.

“We are going into ’26 with the biggest rule change we’ve ever seen, with new cars, new tyres, new engines,” said Andy Stevenson, Aston Martin sporting director. “Lots and lots of things to focus on, but a challenge that we relish.”

The difficulty for the teams in 2025 has been running a parallel programme, building the new car for 2026 while still developing this season’s car. Some teams stopped development of the 2025 car very early in the season.

“It has probably been one of the most difficult years in recent times in Formula One,” Resta said. “With everything new on the car, it has required a massive amount of effort from the chassis group, from the power unit group, from the fuel supplier and partner.”

Frederic Vasseur, team principal of Ferrari, said that aerodynamically, his team expedited their 2026 plans when they realised they would not be competing for the 2025 world championships.

“McLaren was so dominant in the first four or five events that we realised it would be very difficult for 2025,” he said. “It meant that we decided very early in the season, I think it was the end of April, to switch to ’26. It was a tough call.”

Red Bull has the added difficulty of developing its own power unit with Ford for the first time. Throughout its 21-season history, it has been a customer, primarily of Renault and recently of Honda.

Paul Monaghan, the chief engineer of car engineering for Red Bull, said the complexity of the programme had been immense, with plenty of work remaining.

“Some things are already set in stone, so the engines are in manufacture, and we’ve large chunks of the car in manufacture,” he said. “It’s quite a mountain to climb, 2026, but it’s there for all of us. If we’re at the summit first, or if we’re at the summit and others are already there, that’s part of the sport.”

A big question for 2026 is the competitiveness of the cars and their ability to deliver the close motor racing the FIA is hoping for.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull said to PA Media in November that if the new rules are not fun, “then I don’t really see myself hanging around” in Formula One.

Tombazis said the motor racing would be different, but he was confident it would not be dull.

“Clearly, with new regulations, one expects, initially, a slightly bigger spread of the grid,” he said.

“But we do expect, from an aerodynamic point of view, cars to be able to follow each other much closer than now.” As a result, races will be “more unpredictable” with different tools for overtaking.

“Together with the different aerodynamics, I think we are going to make racing ultimately more exciting.” NYTIMES