The 2026 Formula 1 season will represent a new era in the sport and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) announced, this Wednesday, what it considers to be the «biggest revolution in recent decades» in the regulations, with the main changes taking place in the design of the cars and also in the engines that equip the single-seaters. The objective, reveals the FIA, is “to have a more competitive, safe and sustainable F1”.
The main changes are not exactly new, as they had already been announced in 2024: the cars will be smaller, lighter and more agile and the DRS system, which helped drivers when overtaking, will end, being replaced by the Manual Overtake Mode. With the aim of reducing the ecological footprint, the engine will be half electric, half internal combustion and the fuels used will be completely sustainable.
The distance between the axles will be reduced by 200mm, the total width by 100mm and the floor width by 150mm. The minimum weight will drop by 30 kilos, going from 800kg to 770kg, with the short-term objective being to reach 724kg.
The changes in the design of the wings will make the downforce (the force that cola the car to the asphalt) is reduced by 30%, and aerodynamic drag should drop by around 55%. According to the FIA, this means that cars will be slightly slower through corners, but faster exiting them and on the straights.
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The Pirelli tires will continue to be 18 inches in diameter, but will be reduced by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear, reducing weight and minimizing drag. The size reduction will save around 300 grams per front tire and 500 grams per rear tire, resulting in a total saving of 1.6 kg per car. Pirelli also confirmed that it will maintain the range of six compounds slickwhich goes from C1 (hardest) to C6 (ultra-soft), as in 2025.
O DRS (Drag Reduction System) has been discontinued and will be replaced by movable front and rear wings and each driver will be able to switch between straight and curve modes. In straight mode, the flaps The wings open and reduce aerodynamic drag, making the car faster, and can be used even if the difference to the car in front is more than one second, which did not happen with the DRS. In curve mode, the flaps of the wings remain in normal positions and will therefore allow the speed to be greater.
Without DRS, there will then be the introduction of ‘overtaking mode’, which can be used when a driver is less than a second away from the car in front of them. By pressing this button, the car will receive extra power from the electric unit and, unlike DRS, which was limited to certain areas of the track, this ‘overtaking mode’ can be used all at once or throughout the entire lap. The FIA hopes, with this, to increase the excitement of the races and allow overtaking in the most unlikely parts of the tracks.
From 2026, the engines will be divided 50/50 between electric and combustion parts. The power of the electric unit will increase significantly, from 120 kW to 350 kW, increasing the speed of the cars. The fuel used by the internal combustion part will be 100% sustainable, coming from carbon, urban waste and non-food biomass.
In relation to electrical power, the FIA also announced two new terms: Boost (impulse) and Recharge (recharge). The first refers to the use of energy generated by the energy recovery system (ERS) and can be used by the driver offensively or defensively, giving the driver maximum power from the engine and battery with the press of a button anywhere on the track. The mode Recharge It is related to recharging the battery with the kinetic energy recovered during braking for curves or when taking your foot off the accelerator at the end of straights. The way in which this recharging is carried out is managed by the driver and his team in the pit box.
The new Formula 1 season starts on March 6th, with the Australian Grand Prix, and ends on December 4th, in Abu Dhabi. The defending champion is Englishman Lando Norris (McLaren).
