The new rules due to be introduced for 2026 are the biggest change to F1 in years, if not ever.
Cars will be smaller, more agile and more environmentally friendly.
They will be 30 kg lighter, 10 cm narrower and will have engines with a close to 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power, and will use fully sustainable fuels.
Will the races be different? Yes, but how different is one of many unknowns.
The chassis and engine rules have never been modified at the same time to such an extent.
There will be new aerodynamic rules and the power units, although they have a similar architecture to the last 12 years, have been significantly modified in terms of technology.
The engines remain 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids, but the MGU-H, which recovers energy from the exhaust and turbo, has been removed, while the proportion of power produced by the hybrid part of the engine has more or less doubled to around 50%.
This has required major changes to the aerodynamics. Not only was the venturi-underbody ground effect philosophy introduced in 2022 abandoned, but movable front and rear spoilers were introduced. This is to increase straight line speed to allow for greater energy harvesting when braking.
For some time now, drivers have expressed varying levels of concern about how this will affect racing.
Apparently there will be some idiosyncrasies. The internal combustion engine will spend quite a bit of time acting as a generator for the battery. Thus, for example, in some curves the engines will be at maximum revolutions.
The DRS overtaking assist has disappeared because the opening of the rear wing is necessary for other purposes. So instead, there will be a push-to-go button that provides additional electrical power for a time.
“It’s very, very difficult to predict what it will be like,” says Lewis Hamilton. “I don’t want to upset him. I don’t want to say too many negative things.
“It feels very different and I’m not sure you’ll like it. But maybe I’ll be surprised. Maybe it’ll be amazing. Maybe overtaking will be amazing. Maybe overtaking will be easier. I don’t know.
“We have less downforce, more torque. Driving in the rain, I imagine it will be very, very, very difficult. Much more difficult than it already is with what we have today. But like I said, we could come in and have better grip than we anticipated.”
