One member of the FIA has revealed what could be the key factor for Formula 1 teams to gain an early advantage heading into the 2026 season. Formula 1 is preparing to enter fully into the new technical regulations, which will come into force from 2026. As at the start of every new regulatory cycle, it is likely that there will be significant differences between teams, at least in the opening phase. An FIA representative has now indicated what could make the decisive difference at the beginning of this new era.
For 2026, both the teams and the FIA are expecting a less compact grid compared to last year, despite the introduction of measures designed to avoid a scenario similar to that experienced in 2014. In that case, Mercedes dominated the start of the hybrid era thanks to a clearly superior power unit, creating a substantial performance gap over its rivals.
With the 2026 technical reset, a similar situation is theoretically possible, but this time the changes involve every area of the car. The new regulations include revised power units, completely new chassis with active aerodynamics, and the use of fully sustainable fuels. On the engine side, the FIA has also introduced the ADUO system, which provides checks every six races and allows additional upgrades for manufacturers that find themselves in greater difficulty.
The determining factor
“I expect initially that the engine, the ICE, will be the main factor. Obviously, we have new entrants and new ICE regulations, so we expect some initial differentiation,” explained FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis when speaking to the media.
“But we also believe that we have put procedures in place to allow people to recover gradually. So we believe this is a temporary issue in terms of performance differentiation.”
“Then we also have completely new aerodynamic regulations. Naturally, there will be some solutions that are better and others that are worse. There will be an initial convergence, I imagine, over the course of the first six months or a year.”
Expected gaps
According to the FIA, the gaps between teams are expected to be more pronounced at the start compared to the 2025 season, but the situation should improve over the medium term. “For 2026, I don’t expect the grid to be as close as it was last year. But I expect that, as convergence happens, the grid will be closer than in 2025,” Nikolas Tombazis added.
Encouraging indications are also coming from simulations shared with Pirelli, which show a progressive reduction in the expected performance differences as the season develops.
“Reasonably yes, but we cannot be certain because we don’t have detailed data from the teams,” he clarified. “Initially, I think there may be some variation, but we are fairly confident that converging performance should lead to a more compact grid,” he concluded.
At this point, all that remains is to wait for the first confirmations, which are expected to arrive from the closed-door tests in Barcelona, scheduled to take place between 26 and 30 January.
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