The announcement of General Motors entering Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2028 has shifted attention to the aerodynamic regulations supporting the new generation of power units. The release of an initial draft is expected between mid and late 2024, with the final implementation scheduled for 2026. However, there are already rumors circulating about what has been nicknamed the “Fangio project,” as reported by the reputable German publication Auto Motor und Sport.
Dimensions
Since the release of the regulations for power units, the need to lighten the cars and make them aerodynamically more efficient has been evident. The goal is to reduce consumption, particularly critical for a generation of engines that will need to burn excess gasoline to power an electrical component three times more powerful than the current one. In an interview with FormulaPassion.it in September, FIA Single-Seater Technical Director Nikolas Tombazis mentioned the possibility of reducing the minimum weight by 50 kg in 2026 compared to the current weight. Auto Motor und Sport now confirms what has been reported in recent weeks, a weight reduction of 20 kg with optimism that it could go up to 30 kg. This is despite the new power units being 24 kg heavier than the current ones, with 9 kg from the electric motor and 15 kg from the battery.
The weight reduction process starts with a shortening of the wheelbase—the distance between the front and rear wheels—which is expected to decrease from 360 to 340 mm in 2026. The width is also set to decrease from 200 to 190 cm, without returning to the 180 cm of the 2016 single-seaters. The chassis will be narrowed, resulting in a reduction in both the car’s weight and frontal area, offering less aerodynamic resistance.
Tires will play a central role in weight reduction. The switch in 2022 to new tires mounted on 18-inch rims brought an increase of 11 kg. In 2026, the inner diameter of the rims is expected to decrease from 18 to 16 inches, but low-profile tires will maintain, with their diameter and width decreasing by about 10%. Mechanical grip will inevitably decrease, but the adoption of smaller tires will reduce the turbulence generated, diminishing the impact on both the car’s aerodynamics and the one following.
Inwash Aerodynamics
Some previews of weight and dimensions had already leaked in recent weeks, but Auto Motor und Sport now reports new rumors regarding aerodynamics. The basic philosophy will continue to exploit ground effect through Venturi channels in the underfloor. To reduce aerodynamic disturbance for the chasing car, the latest regulations from 2022 were written with particular attention to the wake’s shape, narrower and higher than in the past. In 2026, the approach will be intensified, with strong limitations on outwash aerodynamics in favor of inwash.
The FIA wants to hinder the practice of teams pushing flows outward (outwash) to divert turbulence from the underfloor, causing a widening of the wake. On the contrary, the new Formula 1 cars will draw some flows toward the center of the car (inwash) to narrow the wake. For this purpose, the front wing should no longer be full-width. The endplate fences will delimit the profiles just beyond the inside of the front wheels, cutting off the portion of the wing that teams currently design to divert flows outside the wheels.
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In the most advanced part of the underfloor, the outermost fence at the entrance of the Venturi channel will be reversed compared to its appearance on current single-seaters. The flow deflector will no longer push flows outward but will draw them under the recess of the sidepod. Just behind, a second fence placed above the underfloor will draw other flows inward in the area between the gearbox and the rear wheels. Finally, at the rear, the diffuser height will be limited, and the upper wing should change from two to four profiles.
Active Aerodynamics
Actively controlling the incidence of wing profiles will be crucial on the 2026 Formula 1 cars, not only for overtaking, as with the current DRS. Lowering drag will be a priority to contain consumption, which, as seen, will be a limiting factor for power units. Organizers have not yet decided how many and which elements will be adjustable actively. In addition to the rear wing, hypotheses on the table include the front wing, beam-wing, and diffuser.
Active aerodynamics will not be manually controlled by the driver but will be managed by the control unit. However, Nikolas Tombazis assured in September that the new regulations would be highly prescriptive regarding software management strategies, to avoid atypical race dynamics: “We want there to be battles on the track where cars are at the limit of traction and control, ensuring a certain dramatic component in overtaking. When it comes to active aerodynamics or engine strategies, we don’t want to open up a field that, while very interesting from an engineering perspective, would be very boring for a spectator.”
Preserved Lap Times
Another topic still under discussion is the internal mechanics of suspensions. Nikolas Tombazis ruled out the return of inerters long ago, banned in 2022, as they proved particularly useful in damping oscillations. Among the hypotheses for 2026, the return of gas springs stands out, prohibited by current regulations, but the proposal does not find unanimous agreement. Regarding simulations, according to initial estimates, lap times should not be far from current ones, approximately one second higher. The risk of a slower Formula 1 in 2026 seems to be averted, but the gap from the previous generation will also depend on how performance grows from now until the end of 2025.
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