Are 2026 F1 cars actually slow? A surprising performance data analysis. Why the 2026 Formula 1 cars are performing better than expected.

The surprising performance analysis of the 2026 Formula 1 cars

The second generation of turbo-hybrid power units has proven to be a bold architectural gamble. Reducing the output of the internal combustion engine while relying on an equal contribution from the electrical system quickly exposed several limitations during the opening rounds of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Qualifying, the ultimate expression of outright performance, came as a genuine shock at the start of the campaign.

In response, the FIA introduced a series of measures aimed at reducing excessive and forced energy harvesting, allowing drivers to enjoy a smoother and more natural driving experience while eliminating the artificial deceleration that had become common on long straights. Among the most significant changes was the introduction of a maximum energy recovery limit per lap, reducing the heavy reliance on lift-and-coast techniques.

At the same time, the governing body banned the system that allowed teams to recharge the battery while the internal combustion engine was still operating at full load by removing torque from the crankshaft during the final part of the straights—a phenomenon widely known as superclipping.

Over the coming years, the contribution of the internal combustion engine will gradually increase until it accounts for 60% of the total power output of the power unit. It is a logical decision that also serves as an implicit acknowledgement of the shortcomings of the current power unit architecture.

How should the new-generation Formula 1 cars be judged?

This naturally raises an important question: how should the overall performance of the new-generation Formula 1 cars be evaluated?

First of all, comparing the current cars directly with last season’s ground-effect machines would be misleading. The 2025 campaign marked the fourth and final year of regulatory stability, allowing the previous generation of Formula 1 cars to reach an exceptionally high level of technical maturity through continuous development.

A much more appropriate benchmark for evaluating the 2026 cars is the first generation of ground-effect Formula 1 machines introduced in 2022. Qualifying remains the best session for assessing the absolute performance of the cars, although only five of the first eight qualifying sessions of the 2026 season can be directly compared with those from 2022. The reasons vary, including different weather conditions, races that were not held in 2022, and circuit layout changes, such as those made at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Wherever a direct comparison has been possible, the current generation of Formula 1 cars has performed remarkably well against the original 2022 ground-effect machines.

One particularly interesting observation is that Kimi Antonelli‘s pole laps in Japan and Miami—two circuits featuring numerous high-speed corners—were actually faster than the corresponding pole times recorded four years earlier. This is especially noteworthy considering that the 2022 cars generated enormous levels of downforce through their Venturi-channel floors.

The biggest performance deficit came at the Austrian Grand Prix, where George Russell‘s pole position was 1.129 seconds slower than the lap set by Max Verstappen in 2022, despite the Red Bull Ring being a circuit where a qualifying lap takes little more than one minute to complete.

However, with teams continuing to develop the current generation of cars and further regulatory changes already approved for the coming seasons, it is entirely possible that the benchmark set by the original ground-effect machines will soon be surpassed.