NOS Sport•
The new Formula 1 season starts today on a hermetically sealed circuit in Barcelona. The press and public are not welcome, so that the teams can work on the new car in silence.
Because a lot will change in 2026: new engines and buttons on the steering wheel, different rules in the field of aerodynamics and even completely new teams.
1. Motors and buttons
After twelve seasons with the same engines, F1 is switching to a new and simpler concept. The V6 combustion engine remains virtually the same, but the components surrounding it change.
Where previously there were two hybrid components in the power unit layers, there is now only one. This makes the engine simpler, but the share of electrical power increases.
This will all change for Formula 1 cars in 2026
Next year it will be a 50/50 split between power from the combustion engine and the electric drive. It will be a major challenge for teams to be immediately successful with this new technology. The past shows that it often takes a while before maximum performance is achieved, provided that you as a team are on the right track at all.
For example, Mercedes started off with a great package in 2014, while Renault never fully made up for the deficit in the twelve following seasons. The first week will be crucial for teams and engine manufacturers to collect as much data as possible, and everyone hopes that their drivers are not parked in the pits for hours a day with technical problems.
This year the drivers will have to play with buttons more than ever. The ‘overtake button’ becomes the new way to overtake. If you drive within one second of the car in front, you can press a button for more power a few times per lap. This button replaces the DRS (with which you could open your rear wing), more about that in a moment.
Another trick is the boost button. This can be freely used for more electrical power, but this is only possible if the battery is sufficiently charged. Sometimes you have to get off the gas earlier, or you have to go into ‘recharge mode’. To drive fast, you have to use your energy tactically. Wait, save and fly past your opponent at the right moment with the push of a button.
Critics are afraid that F1 will have too much of a ‘Mario Kart aspect’. Throwing objects is of course not going to happen, but the idea of deliberately slowing down a bit in order to gain more speed later with the push of a button does of course have a game element to it.
2. Auto’s
A lot is also changing in the cars themselves. DRS is gone, but the wings (front and rear) continue to open and close. To ensure that the cars do not lose too much speed when the battery is almost empty, all drivers have to open their wings on certain straight stretches. When cornering, the wings return to their normal position, providing down pressure and therefore grip in the bend.
The organization has already given the wing positions several names in the run-up to 2026, but the end result is somewhat simple: active aerodynamics.
The appearance of the cars is also changing. They become shorter, narrower and therefore lighter. This should benefit racing, the previous generation of cars were sometimes described as boats because they were heavy and not very manoeuvrable.
3. New teams
All changes forced Williams to withdraw from the test week in Barcelona. The British team did not complete the car in time.
The new regulations have attracted three new major car manufacturers to the F1 championship. The American Cadillac is the first completely new team since Haas in 2016. For now Cadillac uses Ferrari engines, later the team wants to design its own power sources. Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas return to F1 at Cadillac after a year’s absence.
The first team to take action two weeks ago was Audi. The German car manufacturer has taken over the team from Sauber and now has a full factory team with its own engines. Audi retains the driving pair of Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Finally, Ford has also entered F1. Not as a team, but as a technical partner of Red Bull. Max Verstappen’s racing stable is developing its own engines this year, but the American Ford is providing technical support in a number of areas. In any case, it is more than just a blue Ford sticker on the chassis.
For all new teams, the motto during the first week of testing is simple: lap times are completely irrelevant, it is purely about making kilometers and, above all, avoiding problems as little as possible.
