THE SHOW MUST GO ON (A DIET)
01 Shorter, narrower, considerably lighter – and perhaps a touch slower. The FIA is putting the finishing touches to the technical regulations for the new era of Formula 1 that will begin in 2026. In terms of the contents of the engine bay it will involve the most extensive changes since 2014, when hybrid powertrains were introduced.
As well as new specifications for the power units (involving the adoption of synthetic fuels and the removal of the MGU-H), the rules will alter the make-up of the cars themselves. Among the biggest changes will be a significant weight reduction. As detailed in our cover feature this month (see p30), car weight has far-reaching effects on performance and ‘raceability’.
From around 640kg in the V8 era, Formula 1 cars have been steadily getting heavier over the past decade – last year’s minimum weight was 798kg. Frequent criticism from drivers, who have expressed their dissatisfaction with this trend, has made the issue of reducing car weight one of the FIA’s top priorities when drafting new regulations.
“We feel that in the recent years cars have become a bit too bulky and too heavy, and we’ve sort of. “What we plan to do is to have a reasonable reduction of downforce for these cars, and a very, very large reduction of drag.
