Compared to last year, the 2026 Formula 1 cars should be shorter, narrower and lighter. However, reducing the weight proves to be a huge challenge. Williams has confirmed that it has not yet reached the new minimum weight. Mercedes is reportedly having the same problems.
The cars of the upcoming F1 season will therefore be smaller and lighter. The wheelbase goes from 3.60 to 3.40 meters, the width goes from 2.00 to 1.90 meters, the floor width decreases by another 15 centimeters and the minimum weight goes from 800 to 768 kilograms. The FIA hopes that this will make them more agile and therefore easier to race with. However, developing lighter cars has proven to be very difficult, especially since the power unit has become considerably heavier. In mid-January, reports emerged that Alpine and Audi had reached the minimum weight. Now there seem to be two teams whose cars need to be on a diet.
Williams confirms too heavy car
It concerns Williams and Mercedes. The first mentioned team had to win the shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, due to delays. That sounds more serious than it probably is, because the delays were due to waiting to see what the best ideas for the 2026 concept would be, not necessarily because Williams is completely unable to master the new regulations. Williams itself has stated via a list of specifications of the FW48 car that the weight is 772.4 kg, almost four and a half kilos heavier than the minimum weight.
Mercedes also above the minimum weight
Rumors are circulating that the W17 car, which covered the most kilometers during the winter test in Spain by completing exactly five hundred laps, is also above the minimum weight. The new Mercedes is said to weigh 772.0kg and is therefore reportedly four kilos too heavy.
One of the ways teams could lose weight was by not painting or putting stickers on parts of the car, but that will be more difficult from 2026 because there is a new rule that a maximum of 45 percent of the car can be ‘naked carbon’.
Since each kilogram can make a difference of about 0.030 to 0.035 seconds per lap, the Mercedes is actually 0.120 to 0.140 seconds per lap too slow.
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