Formula One cars are going to look different from 2026 with the next ruleset being dubbed the “biggest reset in the last 50 years of F1” by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
By Graham Duxbury
Not only will the cars be powered by both electric and internal combustion engines – on a 50/50 basis with a peak power output around 1000bhp – but they’ll be smaller, lighter and more agile than the current F1 machines.
Most significantly, the FIA has revealed a new set of aerodynamics regulations formulated after conducting extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
In framing the new rules, the FIA’s goal – according to single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis – was to bring the simulated lap times of the 2026 cars close to those of the 2024 cars while reducing downforce by around 15%.
To this end, the FIA has increased its influence on the design of key elements, including front wing endplates, floor edges and diffuser edges.
These elements have been largely up to designer interpretation in 2024/25, but no longer as Tombazis says the FIA “has missed a few tricks on the regulatory side” in the past.
What are the specifics?
The 2026 rules mandate a 100mm narrower front wing with only a two-element flap compared to 2025 cars. The rear wing will have two or three elements (at the behest of the designer), with the lower beam wing removed. The target in this area is to reduce aerodynamic wake which makes it difficult for following cars to overtake.
Underfloor, significantly shorter venturi tunnels are prescribed in a bid to reduce the reliance on the underfloor for creating downforce and so not have the cars run as close to the ground as they do currently.
To balance the loss of downforce from shorter venturi tunnels, a longer diffuser with a slightly larger exit is permitted – therefore enhancing the low-pressure airflow underneath the car.
Other changes include a fence underneath each side of the front wing – allowing teams to condition airflow more effectively to the front of the floor.
According to Tombazis the area ahead of the front wheels is possibly the “most significant” revision to the 2026 regulations.
Other areas of focus include the front of the floor which has been reshaped to control turbulent wake created by the front wheels. “Bargeboards”, prevalent on F1 cars from the mid-1990s until 2022, will make a return.
The FIA’s strict rules have been relaxed in one area – the aerodynamics on the top of the sidepods. Here teams have been given more of a free hand which hopefully will reveal some interesting designs capable of differentiating the cars.
One of the most significant – and controversial – rule changes for 2026 is the introduction of more powerful and sophisticated active aerodynamics. Although F1 cars have long used active aero in the shape of the drag reduction system (DRS), in its new form the concept will no longer be used as an overtaking aid.
It will, however, be seen as an energy-saving mode. By reducing drag when full downforce is not needed cars will use less fuel over a race distance and thus be able to meet the FIA’s ambitious fuel mileage goals which remain despite renewable, synthetic fuels being mandated for 2026.
The active aero option will permit drivers to feather or “change the incidence” of both front and rear wings. Two operational modes will be in force in a system known as “dual state”. There is a low-downforce “straight-line mode” and a higher downforce “corner mode”.
The former will be used to reduce drag and enhance top speed on most straight sections – unless the FIA deems certain straights to be too unsafe for this mode to be deployed. Most likely, straight-line mode will be deactivated in wet conditions.
Meanwhile, corner mode will be the default mode, and in the case that the straight-line mode fails, the active aero will put the car back into corner mode for safety. Designers will be able to choose between hydraulic or electronic activation to trigger the modes.
With DRS no more, it is expected that a new power boost system might be added – in effect a push-to-pass option.
According to former F1 designer Gary Anderson and now media pundit, despite initial renderings for the new rules, the final designs could surprise and differ significantly from expectations.